The Game The Gods Play
by Izlawake
Summary: Magic & Gods AU. Ruby, Jaune, and others learn of their destinies to protect the world as Paladins, mystical warriors chosen by the Gods to fight against the evil Goddess Sheena who created the Grimm and started a war over a thousand years ago at the dawn of time. Can our heroes end The Game The Gods Play, or will they just be mere pawns in a seemingly never-ending war?
1. The Beginning

**The Game The Gods Play**

A/N: Follow RWBY: The Game The Gods Play on Facebook for the latest updates on new chapters, inside information on characters, timeline events, sketches, and more.

Thank you to my best friend, Chris, for all the help he provided and still do today.

Thank you to Master Doom Maker, for all his support.

Thank you to Dane Celestia for the wonderful commission artwork for The Game The Gods Play cover image and the banner for the Arkos Pyrrhadise.

Thank you to Mark B. Martin, my lawyer, who I cannot thank enough for his help with this project.

And, of course, thank you, Monty Oum…Thank you for everything you've done. Thank you for being such an inspiration to me in the short time I knew of you. This AU of Gods and Magic is dedicated to you. May it live forever in the hearts of its fans, just as you live within all of us.

 **Chapter 1: The Beginning**

In the beginning, there was darkness, but there was the Six Divines: Oum, Sheena, Aziela, Iris, Ashtul, and Sklor. They descended upon a location in space and shaped the world of Remnant together. Ashtul clenched his hand tight, and when he opened it up, the red earth was inside it. Ashtul let it go and it hung in space. He then created two smaller rocks to encircle the red earth, to which Iris went to them and used her power to create the two moons, giving them their pale shine. Iris then went down onto the red earth and she exhaled her breath onto the world. Grassy fields grew, forests sprung from the ground, oceans formed, volcanos were filled with lava, the blue sky materialized along with the stars and the sun, ice and snow cascaded across the northern lands, eternal summer and swamps emerged in the far east, and hot sand filled the lands in the far west, where the sun shone the brightest. Iris finished her work by clasping her hands together in a field, and when they parted, animals of all kinds sprouted from them. Sklor went down onto the world amidst the new creatures Iris created, and in turn, he created Law, Order, and Balance. The animals then began to understand their new roles, their need for survival, and to reproduce, and then they scattered across the world.

However, the greatest creation of the Gods is not animals, but Man. Oum and Sheena came together and with their combined powers, Mankind was born from dust. However, the world was a cruel place for Man for he was but an insect compared to the large creatures that Iris created. Aziela had an answer. She went down to the people of men and taught them how to defend themselves, and she gave them weapons; swords, rifles, and more. Under Aziela tutelage, Mankind soon gained strength and began to establish towns around the world which over time would blossom into cities. The Gods provided men with knowledge and taught them to grow crops so they would not have to rely on hunting animals for food.

However, forty years after the creation of Remnant and Mankind, Oum and Sheena grew apart, for Oum spent all his time helping Mankind thrive. Sheena grew bitter with jealousy and hatred, and she soon came to believe that if Mankind was erased, she would have Oum back. And so, she stole some of his creation power and she set to work creating a monster that will destroy Mankind. Thus, the creatures of Grimm were created. With a sinister smile, Sheena set these monsters onto Mankind and all his creations, and these forces clashed. Up above the skies, the Gods confronted Sheena, but her heart had turned dark; What was once compassion and serenity became the first Evil of Remnant. Sheena battled with her brethren while Mankind and the Grimm fought below them. Oum was desperate and attempted to kill the Grimm with his godly powers, but Sheena imbued the Grimm with magic that prevented the Gods from eradicating them so easily, leaving Mankind to be the ones to destroy them. Above, the Gods waged war, making the sky grow dark and flash with lightning and boom with thunder. Eventually, the Gods defeated Sheena, giving her a scar down her cheek. Oum banished her from AboveRealm, but before doing so, forced black wings to sprout from Sheena's back to serve as a reminder of her actions. Sheena fled to a plane of existence where none could find her, leaving the Gods to tend to Mankind.

Aziela wasted no time in heading down to Remnant, clad in brilliant armor and wielding a spear and shield. She appeared among men and fought off the Grimm, guiding and directing them towards victory, but it was not enough. Above, Iris flew through the world, gathering up the many elements of the world, from the earth of the mountains, the fires of volcanos, the wind of the east, the ice of the north, the lightning of the skies, and the waters of the oceans. She took these elements and and expanded them to form crystals, then dropped them among Mankind, but her work was not done yet. She flew to Oum, who was mourning for Sheena, and pleaded with him to borrow his creation powers. Oum agreed and the two formed hands. Within seconds, a large number of strange people bearing animal ears, tails, and other such traits emerged from the jungles. They gave a battlecry with weapons raised high, and joined Mankind against the Grimm. Eventually, thanks to the help provided by the Gods, Mankind and the newly-created Faunus drove the Grimm away, forcing the monsters to hide in dark areas and underground. The two races rejoiced their victory, but they all knew this was just the beginning, as did the Gods.

The Gods went their separate paths to tend to the different areas of the world, especially while Sheena and the Grimm still remain alive. Oum seated himself as ruler of AboveRealm and ruled over the domains of Law, Good, and Protection, and Sheena can never return to the heavens so long as he is there. Ashtul went down below the surface to BelowRealm, a desolate place where he will keep watch over the departed souls, whom would be collected by the specter of Death. There, the evil souls would endure punishment while the good souls are escorted to AboveRealm by Death. In the centuries to come, Ashtul's skin began to turn an ash grey from lack of sunlight, and large draconic wings sprung from his back. He took control over the domains of Death, the Departed, Sin, and the Undeath. Aziela continued to live among mortal men where she spread her battle skills and combat techniques among them and helped them incorporate Iris' new magic, which came to be known as Dust, into their weapons. Aziela became known the Goddess of Victory, for without her, Mankind would have perished, and she takes domain over Strength, the Sun, Charm, and Travel. Iris, being the creator of the Faunus, become their mother and the domains of Nature, Animals (including Faunus), the Sea, and the Moon. Sklor became the Keeper of Balance, and with his magic, he instilled the power of Aura within all of Mankind and the Faunus to aid them in fighting the Grimm; Aziela helped train everyone in what Aura can do. Sklor took control over the domains of Fate, Aura, Prophecy, and Knowledge. Sheena, still reeling from her defeat, became the Deceiving Goddess, and took domain over Evil, Murder, Madness, Deceit, and Slaughter.

In time, Mankind and Faunus flourished and expanded to the regions of the world, setting up more towns and, within two hundred years, build four mighty cities. In the western deserts, the city of Vacuo was built. To the snow-cover north, Atlas. To the eternal summer lands in the east, Mistral, and in the middle, serving as a central hub to the other three, Vale. It seemed that Mankind and Faunus would prosper and thrive, but the Grimm still existed, and nothing was going to stop their craving for human flesh.

Sheena would make her return in 228, and new Grimm far more frightening and more deadly emerged. The four cities went to war again, but now they were ready thanks to the magic of Dust given to them by Iris, their improved weaponry by Aziela, and the strength of the Gods, despite that the Gods could only watch. The Gods knew Mankind was still not strong enough, and though Aziela did her best to fight, even she had her limits. However, a ray of light appeared in the darkness that steadily threatened the world, and that light was a mortal man.

Twenty years since Sheena's return, the Goddess created a new Grimm, this time a hybrid of a Grimm and a man. This tall humanoid-like Grimm was clad in the familiar skull armor of its brethren and wielded a large greatsword. The appropriately-named Grimm Knight was sent to the near city of Vale to destroy it, but a squad of soldiers intercepted the monster and waged battle. In the end, after the Grimm Knight had slaughtered all but one soldier, the last soldier of this squad wielding a simple sword killed the monster before succumbing to his wounds. Oum then appeared and returned the young man to life, granting him a magical sword cast in black steel, and imbued him with his magic. "Serve as my Paladin and protect Remnant from the Grimm," Oum then imprinted a tattoo of his symbol, a black-inked circle-shaped sun with m-shaped ravens flying into it onto the young man and then departed.

The new Paladin of Oum became a valuable asset in the Grimm War, but he was not enough. Aziela soon joined the fray, and she came before a young warrior. She gifted him with a sword from the heavens and assigned him as her Paladin, leaving him with a tattoo of a black round shield with a spear crossing it. Iris came before a young Bear Faunus and gave her a small box. "This box contains a special Dust crystal that encompasses all elements. Wield Nature's Wrath in hand and pave a path for Mankind and Faunus," Iris instructed before leaving the Tree of Life in black upon her skin. Ashtul soon sent Death to a man destined for eternal damnation and made him his Paladin, giving him a steel mace to wield and carved the Wings of Death onto the man's back. "Serve as my Paladin and protect Mankind, and you will find redemption," Death told him in Ashtul's words. Sklor himself found a young man who wielded not a sword or a rifle, but his own fists; this man covered himself in metal armor to fight. Sklor gave him a set of special metal blades he could manipulate with his own fingers, like a puppeteer guiding his puppet on strings, and left the Hourglass of Aura onto his skin.

The Five Paladins of Light worked for over a century to win the Grimm War, using their Draíochta, a special form of Aura given to them by the Gods to fuel their magical powers, and during that time, they never aged a day nor grew sick, thanks to the divine powers given to them by the Gods, though they still suffered battle wounds and could still die. One day, the Paladin of Sklor fell to the Grimm, and the Five became Four. When that happened, Sklor then appointed a new Paladin, not to fight, but to lead. He chose a man in his forties that was wise and resourceful, to maintain the world's balance while helping the other Paladins fight the Grimm.

However, one day, from the realm where Sheena hid, a strange woman with ash-like skin, black soulless eyes that burned red, and wielding the power of Draíochta appeared. She challenged the Five Paladins of Light and an epic battle ensued that nearly tore the entire world of Remnant apart. For the first time ever, the Five Paladins of Light have met a Dark Paladin, and she was powerful and deadly. With mere ease, she killed the Paladin of Ashtul, and it was only when the four remaining Paladins combined their powers together did they manage to defeat the mysterious Dark Paladin, banishing her back to where she came for an eternity more.

Another fifty years of fighting passes, and the Paladins take a drastic measure to briefly defeat the Grimm. They ordered humanity to ascend to the highest mountains and together, they used their magic to shatter one of the moons to pieces, making its remains float in the night sky forever and dwindling Iris' powers, but the Shattering of the Moon allowed the oceans to rise, drowning both men, Faunus, and Grimm in the rising seas. The Paladins worked for thirty days and thirty nights to slay the Grimm that attempted to climb to humanity's survivors before the monsters were forced to go underground to hide.

Humanity had won at last, but at the cost of separation, as a great ocean formed between the survivors, separating the once great land of Remnant into six continents with humanity divided. Over time, ships were built and humanity soon reconnected, and they worked to establish their once-great cities again, now as Kingdoms. Peace was soon restored, and the Grimm became a manageable threat. In that time, the Paladins of Aziela and Iris abandoned their roles to start their own families. Iris' Paladin entrusted her Dust Box to a group of monks who follow her Goddess, and they swear to keep it safe forever. Aziela's Paladin used his magic to turn his shield into a scabbard to house his magical sword, then he had its power sealed away by four young women that he entrusted so it could not be used by anyone other than someone of his bloodline. The sword would be passed on through generations of the Paladin's bloodline, and Aziela promised him that each generation will bear a son to carry on the lineage. The Paladin of Sklor disappeared, and no one knew what had become of him; even his fellow Paladins did not know. As for the Paladin of Oum, he continued his duty as Paladin, but when humanity had achieved its temporary peace, he disappeared into the world; some say he eventually died, while some say he is still alive to this day, still fighting for humanity.

Over a thousand years pass, and Mankind and the Faunus grew apart during that time, for men grew to consider the Faunus like animals, treating them like they were unequals. They began to quarrel and fight amongst each other, and in that time, the Grimm steadily began their return, though they were still no match for humanity and their newly-advanced technology and weapons.

However, up in the skies, Sklor predicted the continuation of the Grimm War. "When the people of Remnant come together in the sky, war will break out, but that will be when the Five Paladins of Light will rise, as well as the Five Paladins of Darkness, and the Grimm War shall resume. However, as to who will win and who will lose, even I cannot predict it," Sklor foretold.

Whether the Grimm War will resume one day, or if ten new Paladins must rise again, time will tell, but until then, perhaps it would be best if this piece of history remained as nothing more than a fairy tale. Children all over the world would learn of the Laghsling, the Dànsling, the Nàdarsling, the Bhàisling, and the Cothrosling, the Paladins of Oum, Aziela, Iris, Ashtul, and Sklor, who fought against the Dark Paladin Salem and the Grimm as nothing more than just bedtime stories. The story of the Paladins of Remnant.

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 **November 11th 1562**

 **Vale Memorial Hospital**

In the city of Vale, within the Vale Memorial Hospital, a woman was giving birth to a child while she was surrounded by doctors and her husband. One doctor was standing by the door to the room, but he was not aiding in the childbirth, instead staring at the woman with his shamrock green eyes. "Come on, Mrs. Arc! Push!" cried the doctor at the base of her legs. Mrs. Clair Arc let out an ear-piercing scream as she pushed herself harder. "That's good! The baby's head is out now! One more good push!" Clair gave another deafening scream and in seconds, hers was joined with the screaming of a newborn baby. "It's a boy!"

The doctor brought the baby around for Clair to hold in her arms. Clair broke into tears of joy once she held her newborn son in her arms. Her husband, Foncé, came around to see the first male Arc of their family, and he too wept. "What shall you be naming the child?"

Foncé and Clair looked at one another and nodded. "We've discussed it plenty of times, but we decided that we shall name him Jaune. Jaune Arc," Clair answered.

"It sounds like a wonderful name," the doctor complimented with a smile. He took the console away and Clair cradled Jaune in her arms, making baby sounds to him as he slept peacefully in his mother's arms.

"Excuse me, but I will need to take your child for a moment," said a voice. Foncé and Clair looked up to find the doctor from the doorway before them. "I just need to run a few tests on him to ensure that he is at perfect health." Clair nodded and the doctor had the baby Jaune placed into a wheeled cart made for infants and wheeled Jaune out of the room. "I'll have him back in no time at all," he called back to the Arc couple. Out in the hallways, the doctor guided the cart amongst the traveling doctors, nurses, patients, and various equipment, but he was not heading for the infant ward. He guided the cart out into the waiting areas and towards the chapel dedicated to the Five Gods of Remnant (chapels of Sheena are few and far between, nor can one be found in any of the Kingdoms, due to the negative image she portrays in the Bible).

"Hey, where are you taking that child?" a nurse called towards the doctor, who rushed to stop him. He said nothing, but gave her a stern glare. The nurse stared silently for a moment, mouth agape, then she turned and returned to her desk, as if she never saw the doctor. The doctor wheeled the cart into the chapel, which was empty save for one woman with long fiery-red hair. She stood up and turned to him as he wheeled the child in and locked the double doors.

"So, this is the one…" the woman muttered, stepping out into the aisle. Her body was clad in dazzling white armor, a shield was slung over her shoulder, a sword at her hip, and an elegant spear on her back. She went to the newborn infant and stared at him with her emerald eyes, giving him a smile. "He's so beautiful, Kyler." The doctor now known as Kyler nodded. "Kyler, what is his name?"

"His name is Jaune Arc," he answered, pulling off his surgical mask, revealing a dark brown mustache and goatee. "Born to Foncé and Clair Arc, and the…"

"I know," she interrupted, cutting him off. The woman picked Jaune up out of the cart, and the infant began to cry, but the woman gave him a calming hush and drew a single finger across his bald head and he calmed down instantly. She brushed her finger against his cheek, and in an instant, Jaune's tiny hands curled around it and began suckling on it, making her smile. "The perfect image of innocence," the woman muttered as she carried Jaune to the small altar. Kyler followed her up as well.

"We best hurry before his family grows suspicious," Kyler warned her. The woman seemed to ignore him and allowed Jaune to continue nursing on her finger. "Lady Aziela, we need to begin now."

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just that…I wish I didn't have to do this. Seeing Jaune like this now makes me wish there was another person I could choose so he can grow up having the life he wants, not the one I force upon him."

"You made that choice long ago, remember?" Kyler reminded her.

"Of course I remember."

"I saw what Jaune would look like in seventeen years; he will look so much like Jaundice…"

"That he will…Come, we must begin." Kyler took Jaune from Aziela while she prepared the ritual. She clasped her hands together and began muttering a series of incantations in an unknown language under her breath while Kyler held Jaune before her. Aziela reached into her armor and retrieved a vial containing holy water. She opened it and carefully poured it over Jaune's face, who did not cry out. Aziela, still mumbling, wiped the holy water from his face and massaged it over his tiny body. When she finished, she spoke in the common tongue. "And with this, I name you my Paladin to serve me, to protect Remnant and the creations of the Gods, to battle against Sheena, her Grimm, and her Dark Paladins. I give unto you my power, my Draíochta, and my will so that you can use it all to fulfill your destiny. I christian you as my Dànsling…" With the final words spoken, Aziela pressed her right palm against Jaune's right hand, and when she drew it away, a round shield bearing a spear across it marked in black stood upon his skin. Jaune was silent, having fallen asleep during the ritual.

Kyler placed Jaune back into the cart and wheeled him to the doors until Aziela stopped him. She bent low to the infant and kissed his forehead; a bright light appeared on her lips and faded when she drew away. "I give you my kiss, Jaune Arc, so that it will protect you until the times comes when you are ready to accept your destiny," she whispered to him. Aziela vanished into a series of glowing lights and disappeared out a window while Kyler returned the baby to his family, now surrounded by their seven daughters. Kyler handed Jaune to Clair with a smile as the seven older sisters cooed at their new baby brother.

"He's so adorable!" cried Violet, being eight years old.

"Aw, look at his tiny widdle fingers!" said Bleu (10) while she held her sister, Verte (2).

"Hey there, little Jauney," cooed Argenté (13). Rouge (16) squeezed her way in and lifted the five year old Noire up so she could see her little brother. Blanche (19) stood from the rim of the crowd and gazed at Jaune overtop of everyone. Everyone soon all joined in with their baby talk to Jaune, who stayed sound asleep. Clair eventually shooed everyone away so she could spend some time with her son.

Outside the hospital, Kyler stood among the traveling crowds. He has abandoned his disguise and is now garbed in his normal clothes: a red collared-shirt, a shirt of riveted chainmail, black pants, a crimson belt with straps that crisscrossed around his waist and went down both legs to a pair of black boots, a single black glove upon his right hand, and his black trench coat. On his right hip was the hilt to a sword, but there was no blade. The double-handed hilt was made of black metal, save for the cloth grip being of a dark red that matched his shirt. The pommel ended in a round black stone, the black crossguard was small, with the end facing in towards the user curving upwards towards the non-visible blade while the other side facing outward ending in a stub. Dark brown hair hung around his head, the bangs which began to cover his shamrock-colored eyes. Just then, his Scroll dinged, forcing him to open it to a new message.

 _"Any news on the Arcs?"_

 _"It is a son named Jaune. Ritual with Aziela has been performed."_ Kyler typed and sent.

 _"Good to hear. When and where will his Guardian be born?"_

 _"Around August, to be exact, and it will be happening in Mistral."_

 _"Ensure that you are there for it so you and Aziela may perform the Guardian ritual on her."_ Kyler sent a quick "okay" and slipped his Scroll away. He headed down the sidewalk and disappeared among the crowds.

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 **August 14th 1562**

 **Mistral International Hospital**

Kyler, dressed in a Mistral doctor's uniform, watched from outside the delivery room as Mrs Pandora Nikos was in the middle of giving birth. Her crimson red hair was strewn all over her body as she shuddered in her attempts to push her child out of her. "Come on, honey, you can do it!" her husband Epimeth nearby holding her hand. A few minutes pass, and Pandora relaxes as the doctor holds her newborn daughter. "What shall you be naming her?" asked the doctor.

"Pyrrha…Pyrrha Nikos…" Pandora wheezed before collapsing into her pillow. Kyler came forward and took the newborn girl and took her to the chapel as he did with Jaune. The chapel was empty inside save for Aziela. The Goddess of Victory took a look at Pyrrha, who giggled at the sight of the Goddess.

"She's so beautiful," Aziela complimented, staring into the baby's vivid-green eyes. "We best hurry and start the ritual." The two approached the altar and Kyler took the child again. As before, Aziela chanted foreign words as she poured the holy water over Pyrrha and massaged her in it, though she cried a little as the liquid touched her skin. Aziela finished the ritual and began to speak in Common. "And with this, I name you Guardian to Jaune Arc. Serve him, protect him, fight by his side, and die for him. Share his power so you two will overcome the darkness that clouds the future. You will be drawn to him and you two will become powerful allies." Aziela fell silent, and so did Pyrrha, who fell asleep.

"I'll take her back to her family then." Aziela disappeared while Kyler brought the newborn back, then he left the hospital. From there, he headed for the Mistral Airship Station, hoping to grab a flight to the island of Patch.

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 **September 14th 1562**

 **Mistral National Hospital**

Basil stood near his wife Hazel as she was giving birth. "Come on, honey, you can do this!" the man told his Rabbit Faunus wife. Hazel shuddered in place in her bed.

"One more good push, Mrs. Scarletina!" yelled the doctor. A few moments later and Hazel Scarletina relaxed as her baby girl was pushed out of her. "A girl! You have a baby Rabbit Faunus girl!" The baby girl was brought around and placed into Hazel's arms.

"What should we name her, Hazel?" Basil asked her.

Hazel looked upon her baby girl with a smile as she thought it over. "How about…Velvet? Velvet Scarletina." Basil agreed upon the name.

"May I take her? I just need to do some tests to ensure she's fully healthy," said a doctor Iris. Basil and Hazel glanced at the doctor, who had forest green eyes and matching green hair. "It won't take very long, I'll be as quick as possible." Hazel handed the baby Velvet to her. "Ah, she's such a pretty baby. I will be upmost gentle with her." Iris, the Nature Mother disappeared out the door with Velvet while Basil and Hazel sat together waiting, overjoyed to finally have their own daughter.

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 **October 21st 1562**

 **Vale Memorial Hospital**

Willet Winchester was attempting to give birth with a team of Faunus doctors surrounding her, but it was clear that they were having trouble. "She's not going to last much longer at this rate! We gotta get the baby out of her before it's too late!" cried the head doctor. Nearby, her husband Dunlin sat in a chair shaking with worry.

By her bed, yet unnoticeable to everyone, was a man shrouded in a black cloak that completely covered him head to toe. He watched Willet try with all her might to give birth, but he knew that it was futile. He reached into his cloak and brought out a weathered old pocket watch, and while this watch appeared like any old watch, there was an extra clock tucked to the right of the main clock, and this extra one was counting down, with three minutes left on its hands. As the hands neared one minute, the cloaked man grew more anxious. "There isn't enough time," he mumbled as he pulled back on the dial and turned it, making the second clock's hands turn to thirty minutes. Immediately, Willet, who was close to death, suddenly sprang to life and the doctors rushed to her, working to pull her unborn child out of her.

Willet heaved and pushed, and as the man's pocket watch neared three minutes again, Willet's screams were joined with a baby's, her son's. Both Dunlin and Willet exploded into joyful tears as she cradled her newborn son as the last minute on the clock ticked away. "Cardin…His name is Cardin…" she told everyone as the last seconds ended, as did her life. Willet's head fell back onto her pillow while the smile she wore for her son was still etched onto her face. Dunlin let out a scream and fell onto his wife's lifeless body, hugging her close while baby Cardin cried for his mother.

"Men say that Death is a cruel creature that steals the ones they love from them, and yet they know nothing of the good Death has done, such as extending a life a while longer," said a voice behind the cloaked man. He turned as was met with a doctor with hair black as night and blood red eyes: Ashtul, Lord of BelowRealm. "You were supposed to collect Willet Winchester's soul as well as the soul of her unborn child, and yet you extended hers to bring the child into this world. Why?"

Death looked upon the still form of Willet. "I know I violated your laws, sir, and I apologize, but I could not bear it knowing that this woman was to die failing to give birth. I wanted her to die in happiness."

"I am not angry at you, but rather, I am touched." Ashtul went forward, now viewable to everyone as a simple doctor, and took the baby Cardin and glanced over at Dunlin, who was yelling at the doctors, blaming them for his wife's death. "Perhaps it is best this way. I see a great future in store for this child now." Ashtul went to Dunlin and the doctors, forcing the man to stop yelling. "I'm taking your son away for a while to do some tests to ensure he's healthy, especially after such a long and painful birth," he told them before leaving. Death went to Willet and waved his skeletal hand over her heart, where a lump of glowing energy emerged and hovered in his hand.

"I will ensure you reach AboveRealm safely," Death told the floating spirit of Willet Winchester, which flashed a bright color of positivity at his remark. Death pocketed the soul into a pouch and left with no one noticing him.

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 **October 18th 1563**

 **The Xiao Long House, Patch**

Raven Branwen stood in in her bedroom wearing her underwear. On her bed was her ōdachi in its scabbard and one year old Yang sat at the head of it against the pillows, staring at her mother with her lilac eyes. Raven went to the closet, where she pulled out her combat uniform and laid it out onto the bed. She let out a sigh as her hand brushed along her left arm, over a black-inked tattoo that appeared to be an hourglass full of black-inked sand. Raven got dressed and strapped her sword onto her hip. She scooped up Yang and carried her into the living room, where she put her in her high chair. Yang's hands reached out for her mother as she made little babbles. Raven glanced at her and gave a weak smile. She reached out and allowed Yang's fingers to curl around one of her fingers. "I'm sorry, Yang," Raven whispered to her. "I don't want to go, but I have to." Yang seemed to have recognized her words, for she started to cry, forcing Raven to take her and rock her back and forth in her arms. "There there, honey. There there…" She gives her child a kiss on the forehead and took her to her bedroom, where she laid Yang into her crib.

Raven went into her closet yet again and this time retrieved a mask. It was white and had red paint all over it. Looking at it now, Raven could tell that it looked like the face of a Grimm. She laid it onto the bed and went to Yang again, who was reaching for her mother. She took her in her arms again and rocked her back and forth as she began to sing a verse from a lullaby that she always sang to Yang:

"I will cling, I will clutch, and I'll hold onto you, I won't turn away. I won't leave, I won't go, I will stay with you all our days." Raven's eyes welt up when she sang the second half, as Yang fell asleep. Raven kissed her forehead and laid her to rest in her crib. "I promise I will make up for this one day, I promise you that." Raven went over and slid the mask onto her face. Her hand clasped over the tattoo again and she looked at Yang with her blazing red eyes through the mask. "I will keep this world safe for you, Yang…and I'll do it my own way…" she told herself before leaving. Before she went out the door, she left a small note reading; "Goodbye, Taiyang." As soon as she went out the door, she ran off, never to return again.

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 **April 17th 1565**

 **Vale Memorial Hospital**

It was by far the most beautiful moment of Summer Rose's life when she first laid eyes on her newborn daughter, Ruby. Summer broke into tears as soon as the infant was handed to her; she smiled as she rubbed her finger along Ruby's cheek, making the infant coo. Her tiny eyes slowly opened and Summer saw silver eyes staring back at her. "She has your eyes," Qrow muttered as he leaned over her to look at Ruby, his hip flask in his hand.

"Qrow, must you drink at a time like this?" Summer complained to him, prompting him to put his flash away. Ruby gave a gurgling sound, which made them both smile.

"Hey there, pipsqueak, how're you doing?" he asked Ruby, giving her a smile. Ruby stared wide-eyed at Qrow and mumbled gibberish.

"Mrs. Rose, you have two visitors, a Mr. Taiyang Xiao Long and Yang Xiao Long, shall I let them in?" spoke a nurse who was at the door. Summer gave her a nod and the two entered. Young Yang rushed to Summer's side to look at Ruby while Taiyang stood at the foot of the bed. "Well, speak of the devil," Qrow chuckled as Taiyang lightly punched his shoulder.

"How are you doing, Summer?" he asked. She gave him a positive answer. "Wow, she's so adorable!" exclaimed Yang, getting too close to Ruby, forcing Summer to make her back away a little. Summer cradled Ruby in her arms, staring longingly into her eyes. A short while later, a doctor with black hair and dark brown eyes took Ruby to have her tested for any abnormalities, to which Summer handed her daughter over with a concerned look.

Summer was released from the hospital a week later, once the doctors have tested Ruby to ensure that there was all was well with her. Taiyang brought her home and led her to the bedroom for her to rest. There, she laid Ruby into her crib, the same one Raven used for Yang, then she went to sit by the window, where she stared off into the forest.

A while later, the doorbell rang, to which Summer went to go answer. There was no one at the door, but at her feet was a straw-woven basket with a blanket in it. Summer kneeled down to uncover it, and that's when a black and white Corgi puppy burst from under it and happily barked, surprising her. When she had calmed down, she scratched the pup behind its ears, to which it greatly enjoyed, jumping around in its basket, where it uncovered an envelope. Summer opened it and found a small note which read:

 _"I'm sorry I was unable to come see you and Ruby in the hospital the other day. Qrow gave me the wonderful news though. I'm sure you must be overjoyed at having a new member join the family. As for the dog, I felt like it would make a perfect gift for your new daughter and for the family. Hopefully Zwei does a good job serving as a sort of guardian to Ruby and Yang whenever you and Taiyang have to go out somewhere. Your old friend, Old Wolf."_ Summer looked up into the forest surrounding her home, but she saw nothing. She took the basket inside, where she immediately went to Taiyang to show him the new addition to the family.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **July 23rd 1568**

 **The Xiao Long House, Patch**

"So, will I see you tonight?" Taiyang asked Summer as she fitted her white cloak onto herself.

"Tomorrow or the next day, actually, unless the situation at Mountain Glenn is more troublesome than we believe," she answered. "Look, I'm just going to do a check up on the civilians and workers there, how much trouble can it be?" She gave him a big hug and went out into the living room, where six year old Yang and three year old Ruby were playing with Zwei. Yang was tossing a ball along the floor to which Zwei would chase after it and bring it to which Ruby would laugh and clap her hands. "Ruby, Yang, I have to go now," Summer told them with a smile. The girls sprang from the floor and gave their mother a big hug, forcing Taiyang to pry the kids off so Summer could gather her weapon and latch it onto her back. Zwei came over and placed his front paws on Summer's leg, giving her a happy bark. Summer smiled and scooped him up. "I'll be going away for a couple days or more. Protect the girls until I get home, okay, Zwei?" With a bark in response, she set him down and gave another goodbye and a round of hugs for her daughters. She waved them goodbye as she headed down the pathway towards the Town of Initium.

Summer Rose did not return home the next day, nor the next. She never returned home at all.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **July 23rd 1570**

 **Cliff Rock**

Young Ruby jogged along the edge of Patch's cliffs, heading towards a lonesome cliffside a short distance away. Tucked in her arms was a bouquet of roses that she clutched tight to avoid dropping. The cliffside was but a mere thirty minute walk away from the house during the warm weather, and within a few minutes, she came into view of the cliffside, and she could see her mother's gravestone, but this time, Ruby could also see someone standing before it, garbed in black. She broke into a sprint and reached the cliffside within five minutes, skidding to a halt a short distance from the grave as she tried catching her breath.

The figure standing before Summer's grave realized that he was not alone and turned around. He was dressed entirely in black, except for his red shirt, his dark brown hair, and shamrock eyes. "Who are you, mister?" Ruby asked.

The man stared at Ruby for a moment and took a step towards her, to which Ruby took a step back. "Don't worry, I won't harm you," the man told her, extending a hand out to her. "It's alright, I knew your mother." That calmed Ruby down and she went to the man. He stood aside, allowing her to place the roses before the grave.

"You knew mommy?" Ruby asked him, filled with curiosity. She stared at both her mother's grave and the man.

"Oh yes, I knew her well. We used to be partners, for a short time; she saved my life a few times as well. She was an incredible woman, both on and off the battlefield," he lamented. "She loved everyone and did everything she could to help people, and she was tough as nails."

"Mister, who are you?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Kyler Carnaid, but you can call me Mister Kyler, Ruby." He got down to her level and gave her a smile, which she returned. "Well, that's my name, but your mother would always call me 'Old Wolf' because back when we fought together, I was as fast as a real wolf, as she told me herself," he explained, chuckling at Summer's choice for his nickname.

"Well, can I call you Mister Wolf then?" Ruby whispered. Kyler broke out in a laugh, making Ruby jump.

"HAHAHA! 'Mister Wolf,' huh? Yes, that name is perfectly fine, Ruby," he laughed before he ended up choking. "Hey, how about I take you home, huh? How about I give you a piggyback ride?" Ruby's eyes beamed at the notion and she stretched her arms out for him. Kyler scooped her up and slung her onto his shoulders. She hung her legs down his sides where he grabbed hold of her. "Now just enjoy the view while I handle the heavy work."

The trip seemed to have ended as soon as it started, especially since Ruby was enjoying the ride, whipping her head around at all angles to see the beauty of Patch. When they arrived at the Xiao Long House, Kyler placed Ruby on the ground and rang the doorbell. Yang answered the door and was surprised to see her little sister with some stranger. "DAD!" she called, to which Taiyang came running, his hands wet from washing dishes at that present moment.

"Oh, Kyler, it's you," Taiyang said nonchalantly, as if he was not happy to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to pay respects to Summer, and I happened to run into little Ruby here, so I thought I'd give her a piggyback ride home," Kyler explained.

Taiyang stared silently for a moment, then gave a nod of approval. "Ruby, c'mon inside. Yang, go give a cookie to Ruby, okay?"

Ruby scurried inside with Yang, eager to have her cookie, but she stopped to tell Kyler "Goodbye, Mister Wolf," which earned an estranged look from Taiyang. "Goodbye, Ruby," Kyler told her. Taiyang said his goodbyes and closed the door on Kyler while giving him a mean glare. Kyler then strolled off down the pathway leading away from the house.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **September 14th 1572**

 **The Arc Manor, Vale**

Jaune Arc, being only ten years old at the time, grew up fascinated by the stories of brave heroes, Huntsmen, and legendary warriors who carved their names into stone for ages to come. Every night when he was young, he would beg his father to read him such stories before bedtime, to which his father happily agreed. The story of the Paladins of Remnant was the story Jaune chose to have his father read to him the most, though he often listened to the fabled tales of the Arc Knights as well. The Arc Knights, as his father, grandfather, and their fathers would tell, were a long line of Arcs who served as Knights among the Kingdom armies long ago. They were named so for their habit of wielding a sword and shield in battle, and were believed to be the strongest of the armies then.

Jaune was with his Uncle Gris at the moment, who was shuffling through an old chest full of priceless heirlooms down in the manor's cellar. Uncle Gris was a Huntsman, and a darn good one at that, as Jaune would put it. Jaune's father, however, preferred a simpler life, choosing instead to become a businessman, who owns his own little shop in Vale.

"You know, I always figured you would follow your uncle's footsteps when I saw you since you were 'this' big," Uncle Gris told Jaune, holding up his pinched fingers to the boy. "I could tell you had it in you to become a warrior of some sort.

"Just like Blanche?" Young Jaune questioned. Blanche, his oldest sister, was a Huntress, and a good one, though not as incredible as their uncle.

"Yep, just like your sister. Aha! Here it is!" Gris retrieved a sword and scabbard covered in dust. He gave it a hard blow and brushed the dust off it. "Geez, I can't believe my brother left this thing hiding down here collecting dust." Gris gripped the hilt and drew the blade, noting at how the steel blade and the entire sword itself was in pristine condition. "And it hasn't aged a day."

"Is that grandpa's sword?" Jaune asked, moving closer to see it.

"Yep, it is. Your great-great-grandfather wielded this sword back in his young days, back when he was an Arc Knight for Vale," Gris answered, still admiring at the blade.

"He was an Arc Knight?"

Gris diverted his attention to Jaune, giving the boy a smile. "That he was. He was the last Arc Knight in our family, before the Huntsmen were formed to serve as the Kingdoms' military service. I'm sure your father told you the stories of our family's Arc Knights?" A nod from Jaune. "Well, the Arc Knights were real people, though no one but our family remembers them today; a crying shame, I must say."

"Can I see grandpa's sword?" Jaune asked, moving closer to see it.

"It might be a bit big for you, but go ahead. Just don't tell your parents, or your mother will wring my neck." Gris handed Jaune the sword, using his hands to hold the blade up while Jaune gripped the hilt. Jaune found the sword to be surprisingly lightweight, and he was able to lift it with ease.

"WOW!" Jaune exclaimed, holding the sword above his head. Gris let go and allowed Jaune to carry the sword on his own.

"It's…incredible…" Gris remarked, marveling at Jaune swinging the sword around on his own. "Hey, Jaune, bring that over here for a moment." Jaune obeyed and brought the sword over to Gris, who sheathed it back into its scabbard. "Tell you what, since you seem to like this sword so much, how about when you're older, I'll teach you how to use it? That way, you can become just like the heroes from the stories; a brand new Arc Knight, waddaya say?" Jaune was practically jumping with excitement, forcing Gris to hold him down to calm down. They took the sword upstairs, where Gris hung it over the mantle in the sitting room. When he had finished, both he and Jaune observed Crocea Mors hanging above the fireplace.

"Jaune, promise me one thing," Gris asked him, patting his shoulder. "Promise me that one day, when you're old enough, you'll become a great Arc Knight, just like your great-great-grandpa, okay?" Jaune nodded, giving his uncle a big hug.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **March 8th 1575**

 **The Nikos House, Mistral**

Thirteen year old Pyrrha Nikos sat alone in her bedroom, overlooking a pamphlet for Sanctum Academy, the combat school of the Kingdom of Mistral. Ever since she was young, she had wanted to become a Huntress like her mother, though—and she kept this to herself—she could never understand why she wanted to become one. When asked why, Pyrrha would simply answer with "I want to help protect people and the Kingdoms, just my mother." Pyrrha would, in time, come to believe that perhaps it was destiny that she become a Huntress, given her belief in the Goddess of Victory, Aziela. Pyrrha grinned from ear to ear as she read the pamphlet, herself growing with excitement to join the school and work to become one of the best Huntresses in the school.

In time, she would be accepted into Sanctum and eventually graduate top of her class there each year, growing stronger with each passing day. In time, she will take on her family's emblem, a round shield with a spear crossing it and she will choose to attend Beacon Academy. And again, she would not understand why Beacon of all the schools.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **April 7th 1578**

 **Mistral National Airport**

Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie waited in their seats outside the terminal waiting for the airship to take them to Vale to be ready. Ren was reading a book while Nora sat impatiently in her seat, though Ren often held her hand to keep her still. "Ren, what if the Triads try to take us back?" she asked nervously.

"They won't," he assured her, squeezing her hand tightly.

"But what if…"

"There is no 'what if,' Nora. Look, we finally paid our debts to the boss and we are free now; we can do what we want with our lives without anyone controlling us anymore." Ren closed his book and took Nora's hand in both of his. "We'll be fine, I promise. Vale seems promising enough, and it's a new place where we can start anew." Nora gave a satisfying nod and threw herself around him, which he accepted.

"Attention. Flight 812 from Mistral to Vale has arrived and is ready for boarding. Repeat, Flight 812 from Mistral to Vale is ready for boarding," said the intercom system.

"Ren, that's us!" Nora squealed. She grabbed her bags and skipped towards the terminal tunnel. Ren followed behind her with his bags, but he stopped for a short minute to gaze outside the window at Mistral, his home city. "Ren, c'mon!" Nora called from the end of the tunnel. With a small smile, he hoisted his bags over his shoulders and went to catch up to her.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 19th 1579**

 **Vale Police Department**

A police officer was staring into a lonely cell that contained a tall and muscular teenage boy with dark skin, cobalt blue eyes, and long brown hair. He was wearing a blue denim jacket with ripped sleeves that bore an ancient Mistral symbol upon its back, and he was staring down at the floor.

"This kid's in a heap of trouble," said another officer, who wandered over to see the kid.

"Well, he did take out most of those gang members," said the first officer. "We've been looking for those guys forever, especially since they started those arson attacks on those shops."

"Yeah, well, we managed to dig up his record, and he's just as bad, if not worse, than those guys." The second officer opened up a manilla folder to the first and inside was details of the imprisoned kid. "Theft, disturbing the peace, destruction of property, unregistered weapon carry, underaged drinking, muggings, the kid's got a long list of crap."

The first officer glanced over at the kid, still looking down at the floor. "But what's he doing all the way away from Vacuo, I wonder," he muttered.

The two officers had little time to ponder the events surrounding the mysterious teenager, as an old man dressed in green and black and bearing a walking cane entered the station. "I'm here to collect a Mr. Lucas Dias," he stated to the officer behind the desk.

"And you are?" the officer questioned.

"I'm his guardian," Ozpin reached into his pocket and showed the officer his ID card, giving him a smile and stern look. The officer caught his gaze before observing the card then handed it back. "Right this way," the officer ordered, leading Ozpin into the back where Lucas Dias was being kept. Ozpin had the teen released and his pack, which contained some clothes, personal belongings, and a sleek pump-action shotgun, returned and the two exited the station. "I must say, you were quite impressive, taking out most of a Vale gang on your own, Mr. Dias," Ozpin complimented to the boy outside the station.

"Who are you?" Lucas asked the old man. Ozpin did not answer, but instead directed Lucas towards a car parked in front of the station. He opened the door and motioned the teen to enter, which he did after a brief moment of consideration. Ozpin climbed into the back seat with him and ordered the driver to go.

"Alright, I will explain everything now," Ozpin told him as soon as they headed off. "My name is Ozpin, and I am the headmaster of Beacon Academy, where young warriors go to train to become Huntsmen at the age of seventeen. And I know about you, Mr. Dias. I know who you are, where you're from, and what you came from." Ozpin noticed a surprised look from the boy. "And while I did not have to release you from custody, I know that you have a lot of potential, given your history in Vacuo."

"And where are you going with this?" Lucas asked, crossing his arms and staring out the window at the passing city blocks.

"I know why you're here in Vale, so far away from home, and I'm here to tell you that I can help, but only if you would relax and extend your hand to mine." Ozpin did just that, extending his hand for Lucas. The teen was hesitant, but he relented and took the hand in his, giving it a light handshake. "Much better. Now, tell me, do you wish to become a Huntsman?"

The question was so sudden, it made Lucas jump in his seat, nearly hitting his head on the car's roof. "What?" he asked Ozpin, despite hearing every word he said.

"Do you wish to become a Huntsman, Mr. Lucas Dias?"

"I…I…"

"Lucas, I understand that it will be difficult for you to become a Huntsman, especially after all you've done, but I always believed that there is redemption in any man, that he can be brought back onto the path of good despite what he has done in his past, and I feel like you are such a person, Lucas. So I will ask again. Do you wish to become a Huntsman and erase the sins of your past?"

Lucas stared down at his hands for a minute in complete silence, questioning Ozpin's offer. "You know who I am and where I'm from?" A nod from Ozpin. "And you're just offering me a chance to become a Huntsman?" Another nod.

"I am offering the chance, but it will be up to you to utilize that chance to its full potential. So, what do you say?" Ozpin rested his hands on his cane while staring at Lucas, awaiting an answer.

A few more minutes pass with complete silence, then finally…"I'll take up your offer, sir," Lucas answered. Ozpin smiled. The old professor reached forward and directed the driver towards a new destination. Within about fifteen minutes, the car pulled up in front of a large apartment complex on C1994 Avenue and Ozpin reached over and opened Lucas' door and then handed him a slip of paper.

"Head to Room 511, where an associate of mine, Qrow, lives at this current time. Hand him that slip of paper and he will know everything that I offered you. He will teach you how to utilize your Aura, discover your Semblance, and train you to become a Huntsman. I hope to see you next year for initiation, Lucas Dias," Ozpin explained. Before closing the door, Ozpin gave him one more smile. Lucas watched the car disappear around the street corner, and with one glance up at the apartment complex, he went in search of Room 511.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 2nd 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

Weiss Schnee sat poised and perfected in her seat, awaiting the arrival of Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. She had her rapier, Myrtenaster, laid out onto the table before her, and she was checking that her dress and hair was perfect to impress the headmaster. He soon arrived, accompanied by the Headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin sat down across from Weiss while Glynda took comfort in a corner of the room. Ozpin rested his cane against the table and laid a mug full of coffee onto the table. "Hello, Headmaster Ozpin," Weiss said politely.

"Hello, Ms. Weiss Schnee," Ozpin casually answered. "Now, I understand that you are the heiress of the Schnee Dust Corporation, that you hail from Atlas, and that your older sister, Winter, is a Specialist among General Ironwood's personal unit. However, what I wish to know is why does the Schnee heiress wish to become a Huntress?

Weiss was taken aback for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "I wish to become a Huntress so I may live up to my family's legacy," she answered with pride.

"Is that all? You would live up to your family's legacy far better by working with the Dust aspect of the company, or perhaps join the Atlesian Military instead; would be far more safer for someone of your status, I'm sure."

Weiss went silent; her face full of pride vanished into one of uncertainly. "Well…I just…I want to…there's more to my family's legacy than you'd think, Headmaster," Weiss stuttered out.

Ozpin held up a hand to Weiss, and she soon calmed down. "Whether reason you have for wanting to become a Huntress, that is yours to decide, but I must ask that you know exactly what you want before you make this decision, do you understand?"

"Of course I do, sir…I want to help protect people."

"Now that is something I wouldn't expect a heiress to say, especially for one who has had a silver spoon in her mouth since the day she was born," Glynda interrupted with a sour tongue. Weiss spun around and gave her an evil glare.

"How dare you say such a thing!" Weiss snapped. Ozpin got up, went over, and held Weiss down in her seat by her shoulder. "Please calm yourself, Ms. Schnee, Glynda meant nothing," Ozpin told her, giving Glynda a stern look.

Once Weiss had relaxed, the interview resumed. At the end, Ozpin was shaking Weiss' hand and notifying her that the first day of Beacon begins on September 1st.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 3rd 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

Yang Xiao Long's interview with Ozpin that morning was normal for the most part. For one thing, she kept making stupid puns with the Headmaster's words, which made Glynda roll her eyes, though Ozpin paid it no heed. "Why do you wish to become a Huntress?" Ozpin asked as the last question.

"Well, most people want to become a Huntress to protect people or their Kingdoms, or to aspire to greatness or something, but for me, I want adventure, plain and simple," Yang answered with a grin.

"Adventure, hmm?" Ozpin noted. He took a long look at the busty blonde brawler before him. "Well, welcome to Beacon Academy, Ms. Yang Xiao Long. We expect you at Beacon for initiation on the first of September."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 4th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

The interview with Blake Belladonna that night was most peculiar. Ozpin quickly learned that she was a Cat Faunus and that she grew up outside of the Kingdoms' protection areas, out in the wilds. "So, why do you wish to become a Huntress, Blake?" Ozpin asked in a calm tone. "Does it perhaps have to do with who you are, or what your people have done and suffered?"

Blake glanced up at him for a moment. "It does…"

"Which part?"

"All of it…I have grown up all my life seeing the injustice and inequality Faunus have suffered…and I have seen what the Faunus have done in their attempt to earn their equality, both the good and bad…" Blake answered with some difficultly.

"And you wish to correct the evil your people have committed in the past by setting an image, do you not?" A nod from Blake. "Blake, I know we cannot undo the mistakes that Humans have committed in the past, but we are making strides to lessen the divide, that I promise."

"And from what I've seen so far in my life, you Humans are doing a poor job and need to make larger strides."

Ozpin let out a sigh. "I know, I know…Blake, every day, I see Faunus suffering inequality and injustice from everyone, even their own kind, such as White Fang supporters attacking those like you who want their equality through peace instead of violence. Every day, I try to end the hatred among Humans and Faunus, but all I can do is guide young students who come to beacon down the correct path to lessen the divide…Blake, I understand where you come from and what you want to do, and I can help you achieve that."

Blake was silent for a moment, taking in everything Ozpin told her. "Then help me achieve my goal, Headmaster," she told him.

Ozpin gave her a comforting smile. "Initiation begins September first, Ms. Belladonna. I hope to see you there."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 8th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

Jaune Arc sat before Ozpin in a nervous state, with his entire body shivering and himself unable to focus properly while the headmaster read over his file and transcripts. "Mr. Jaune Arc, seventeen, hails from Vale," Ozpin read off. "It says here you went to Signal Academy where you graduated with average grades, and you earned a recommendation from Professor Amarillo to come to Beacon, and yet your entrance exam scores are rather poor, I must say, with academic scores barely reaching average and your skills in combat being below average."

"Y-Yes, sir," Jaune stuttered. "He said that I-I had potential and that I sh-should continue my career as a Huntsman…and go to Beacon."

Ozpin glared at Jaune for a moment. "I see…" Ozpin stole a glance down at the sword Crocea Mors which sat upon the table. "And this sword is…?"

"It was my great-great-grandfather's," Jaune answered. "It's been in my family for ages."

"I see. Jaune, you do understand what you would be doing should you enter Beacon Academy, correct?

"Um, of course. I would be training in both body and mind to become a Huntsman and use what I learned to protect civilians from the Grimm," Jaune answered, feeling a little confident in himself.

"It is not only the Grimm you would be fighting." Jaune jerked in his seat a little, now feeling afraid of his answer. "Jaune, if you become a Huntsman, you not only will be fighting the Creatures of Grimm, but also anyone that wishes harm onto the Kingdoms. You may find yourself having to make a difficult decision that could cost a multitude of lives. You may one day make a decision that will send your fellow Huntsmen to their deaths. Do you understand?"

Jaune shivered in his seat, but with a deep breath, he calmed himself. "I understand, sir, but I want to become a Huntsman more than anything. I want…I want to be like my great-great-grandfather, who was an incredible knight back before the Huntsmen were established. He was also the last warrior of my family, and I want to continue that lineage myself."

Ozpin stared silently at Jaune, who stared back, nervous as to what he will do next. "Initiation begins on September first. I expect you to be there, Jaune." Jaune's face beamed at that. He jumped to his feet and furiously shook Ozpin's hand, promising him that he will not let him down. "I have my upmost confidence in you, Mr. Arc."

Jaune gathered his weapon and left, eager to return home and notify his family of the good news. Glynda broke from her corner spot and went to Ozpin's side. "You know his transcripts are forged, correct?" she asked the old man, who nodded in return.

"And I know that he is the Dànsling as well," Ozpin told her before taking a sip of his coffee. "I must admit, I was expecting that boy to be a little more…proficient in combat given his destiny, but I believe Aziela has something big in store for the boy."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 11th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

Pyrrha Nikos sat attentively in her seat while Ozpin looked over her file and transcripts. "My my, it seems we have quite the celebrity with us today, Glynda," Ozpin joked while Glynda rolled her eyes in the corner. Pyrrha herself was not amused, instead she shivered a little in her seat. "Don't worry, Ms. Nikos, I meant nothing of it. Now, let us begin."

The interview went along the same as anyone else, though Ozpin did ask Pyrrha why she chose to attend Beacon rather than Haven, which is situated in her home Kingdom of Mistral. "I heard that Beacon was the best of all the academies, so as someone who was the best at Sanctum, I believed that I should attend the best academy."

"Is there any other reason you would have to attend Beacon?" Ozpin leaned forward in his seat, his hands coming together to rest.

Pyrrha was hesitant for a moment, but after taking a deep breath, she was ready. "Well, after I graduated from Sanctum–"

"Top of your class, I might add. Very impressive," Glynda interrupted.

"–Yes, top of my class. After I graduated and was selecting which academy to attend, I kept finding myself drawn to Beacon for some strange, unknown reason. I cannot understand, but I felt like I was meant to go to Beacon."

"I see…well, initiation begins on September first, so let's see if you were truly meant for Beacon or not." Pyrrha's face beamed and shook his hand before leaving.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 13th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

By far, the interview with Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie was the most grueling to endure for the Headmaster and Headmistress, with Ren being quiet and speaking in a hushed voice anytime he spoke and Nora practically bouncing off the walls while boosting about how many Grimm she has killed, to which Ren confirmed that she only killed a few, and those few being young Stage 1 Beowolves; the weakest of said species. Glynda appeared to have become irritated of the two, but Ozpin seemed to like them, and notified them of initiation's date.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 22nd 1580**

 **From Dust Till Dawn, Vale**

Ruby Rose was just minding her own business reading the new issue of Weapons Monthly in the From Dust Till Dawn shop after a long day at Signal Academy when some thug pointed a gun at her back. She did not realize that the guy and his buddies were robbing the store due to her having her headphones on full blast. Ruby only became aware of what was happening when the thug tugged her hood down, alerting her to the situation.

"What's…going on?" Ruby asked the thug, looking innocent and cute.

"Didn't you hear me!? I said put your hands in the air!" the thug growled.

"Are you…robbing me?" Ruby asked.

Now the thug was growing impatient. "Yes!" he told her, his gun hand shaking in rage.

"Ohh…" Ruby looked away for a moment, and when she turned her gaze back at the thug, there were tears in her eyes. "B-B-But…why!? I'm just…a little girl!" she sobbed, her eyes big and puffy as they shed tears. The thug was taken aback for a second.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize how young you were and I just–!" He did not finish his sentence as Ruby twirled around and slammed her boot into his chest, sending him crashing into a couple shelves. The leader of the gang, Roman Torchwick, ordered another guy to attack her, and that was when Ruby threw herself onto the thug, sending them both crashing through the store's front window and out onto the street. Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose, her High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe, and poised herself for battle.

Roman stared uninterested at the young teenager before ordering his goons to attack her, whom Ruby made quick work of. "Gods, such a waste of money," Roman muttered to himself over his hired thugs. "Well, Red, I must say, you made this quite an eventful evening, but I'm afraid this is where we part ways," he told Ruby before firing his Melodic Cudgel at her, forcing her to leap into the air with a shot from Crescent Rose, allowing Roman time to head up a fire escape of a nearby building. Ruby followed him up and cut him off, until a Bullhead airship appeared from the side of the building, to which Roman jumped into its open hatch.

"End of the line, Red!" Roman yelled before tossing a red Dust crystal at Ruby's feet before shooting it, setting off a massive explosion. Ruby realized far too late what was going to happen, but before the explosion occurred, she saw a flash of black before her that enveloped her. She felt the flames of the Dust crystal lap over her and whatever jumped before her, but there was no pain. Roman hooted with glee, but it quickly turned into a growl when he saw who was standing before him.

When Ruby opened her eyes, she saw someone dressed entirely in black except for a red shirt holding Ruby in one arm and a beautiful blade made of ebony steel in the other. "You alright, Ruby?" asked a familiar voice, to which Ruby glanced up and found herself staring at Kyler Carnaid. Ruby looked forward and saw a blonde woman with a riding crop lay waste to the Bullhead using a series of purple beams that struck at the Bullhead, almost sending Roman tumbling out of the open hatch, but he recovered and headed into the pilot's cabin.

Taking his place, a woman walks out into the main body of the airship; the three Huntsmen could see a dark red minidress, but her face was obscured by the shadows of the airship, though two bright amber eyes that glowed as if they were on fire. Glynda fired out a thundercloud above the airship while Kyler moved Ruby behind him to protect her. Shards of ice began to rain down upon the Bullhead, doing minimal damage. The mysterious woman waved her hands around her body, and embers followed her fingertips. She began firing balls of fire onto Glynda, which deflected them with a rune shield from her crop. The woman then turned her attention to Kyler and fired onto him, but in response, he put two fingers to his lips, muttered something, then stuck his hand out, causing a crimson wispy shield to form from his palm, stopping the fireballs dead in their tracks and making them swivel around the shield before he launched them back at the airship, denting its body and veering it off course.

Not wanting to be left out, Ruby dashed from Kyler's backside and fired Crescent Rose at the woman, but she merely deflected each bullet with her hand. The woman swung her arm horizontally and large red circles appeared under the three Huntsmen. Glynda leapt out of the way, but Ruby was too slow. "RUBY!" Kyler cried out, snatching Ruby up and rolling across the rooftop, avoiding the exploding circles entirely, but this allowed the Bullhead to escape them.

Everyone returned to their feet battered and tired, but alive. When Kyler returned his sword to his hip, the blade disappeared, allowing him to attach it to its strap. Glynda went to his side and checked him for damage, but he waved her off, saying it was alright. "Mister Wolf, I…" Ruby began, but Kyler hushed her.

"Are you alright, Ruby?" he asked. She nodded silently. She took him in for a moment, and it was now that she noticed that he had changed very little in the past nine years since she last saw him. "Good, glad to hear that."

"Young lady, you are in serious trouble," Glynda hissed at the red girl.

"Oh no…" Ruby moaned.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby sat in the dark room at a table with a lone lamp shining down upon her. Glynda strolled back and forth with her Scroll in hand, watching footage of Ruby fighting the thugs and Roman. Kyler sat in a chair by Ruby's side, constantly shooting her smiles to keep her relaxed. "I'm very disappointed in you, young lady," Glynda said upon finishing the video. "You put yourself and others at great risk, despite that you stopped the robbery,"

"But they started it!" Ruby whined.

Glynda ignored her. "If it were up to me, you'd be sent home with a pat on the back…" That made Ruby beam with joy. Glynda glared at her. "…And a slap on the wrists!" She slapped her riding crop down onto the table, scaring Ruby. "However, there is someone who wishes to see you." At her command, Ozpin entered the room with his cane tucked under one armpit, his coffee mug in one hand, and a plate of cookies in the other.

"Ruby Rose," Ozpin stated. He leaned over to look at her closer. "You…have silver eyes." Even Kyler leaned over to look at Ruby's silver eyes. When he drew away, he rubbed away at his eyes for a moment. "So, where did you learn to do this?" he asked, motioning to Glynda's video.

"Um…Sig-Signal Academy…" Ruby answered.

"They taught you how to wield one of the most dangerous weapons designed by man?"

"Well, one teacher in particular."

"I see…" Ozpin laid the plate of cookies before Ruby, who quickly wolfed them down one by one. "It's just that I've only seen one scythe wielder with that caliber…a dusty old crow…"

"That's my uncle!" Ruby mumbled with her mouth full of food. She cleared her cheeks and apologized. "That's my Uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing."

"Ah, so Qrow is still alive and kicking, huh?" Kyler noted.

"So, why on earth is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?" Ozpin asked her, followed with a sip from his mug.

"I want to become a Huntress," Ruby stated with pride.

"You…want to slay monsters?" A nod from Ruby.

"Well, yeah. My sister is starting her first year at Beacon, and my uncle is a Huntsman, my father is a Huntsman, and my mother was a Huntress, so I figured I might as well become one too. I mean, warriors and cops are nice, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are so much more cool and exciting, ya know?!" Ruby squealed with excitement.

"So it seems," Ozpin said nonchalantly, sipping his coffee again. Kyler merely chuckled in his seat at seeing Ruby's excitement. "So, do you want to come to my school?"

"More than anything," Ruby tells him, leaning forward in her seat.

Ozpin glanced over at Glynda, who rolled her eyes. A glance to Kyler earned the old man a smile and a nod of the head. "Very well then. September first is initiation day. I expect you to be there, Ms. Rose." Ozpin and Glynda left the room, leaving Ruby and Kyler alone.

"Hey, how about I take you home so you can get ready for Beacon next week?" Kyler offered, which Ruby accepted. They took a small airship out to the island of Patch, and there, Kyler escorted Ruby to her home. When they arrived, Kyler refused to enter the house. "I'd rather not, Ruby. Your dad and uncle Qrow don't particularly care much for me," he explained.

"But, Mister Wolf…" Ruby protested, but he held his hand up to silence her. Ruby went quiet, but she instead threw herself onto him and hugged him tight. "…It's so good to see you again, Mister Wolf."

Kyler smiled and returned the hug. "It's good to see you too, Ruby. Look, I'll be at Beacon for a short while around when you have to go, so I'll see you there, okay? You can tell me all about your initiation, team, and whatnot there." Ruby gave a series of rapid nods, then Kyler released her, then headed off down the path. "Good luck at Beacon, Ruby!" he called.

"Good bye, Mister Wolf!" Ruby called back, giving a wave, which he returned. Without hesitation, Ruby dashed into her home to tell her father and Yang the good news. By next week, Ruby will find herself on the airship to Beacon with her sister and a wealthy number of initiates, all of whom will be eager to continue their Huntsmen training at Beacon Academy.

 **Next Chapter 2: Taking the First Step**


	2. Taking the First Step

**Chapter 2: Taking the First Step**

"Legends…stories scattered through time. Mankind has grown quite fond of recounting the exploits of heroes and villains, forgetting so easily that they are remnants, byproducts of a forgotten past. Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful, splitting images of the Gods themselves, but he was born into an unforgiving world. An inevitable darkness, creatures of destruction. The creatures of Grimm, created by my Goddess, Sheena. Sheena and the Grimm set their sights on Man and all his creations. These forces clashed and it seemed the darkness was intent on returning Man's brief existence back to the void. However, even the smallest spark of hope is enough to ignite change, and in time, and with help from the Gods, Man's passion, resourcefulness, and ingenuity led them to the tools that would help even the odds. Iris, the Nature Mother, gathered the elements of the world and from them, created Dust. Combining the power of "nature's wrath" and the Paladins who carry the power of the Gods, Mankind lit their way through the darkness and in the shadow's absence, came strength, civilization, and most importantly, life.

"However, even the most brilliant of lights eventually flicker and die. And when they are gone…darkness will return. So, you may prepare your Paladins and your Guardians…Build your monuments to a so-called free world, but take heed…There will be no victory in strength."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **August 29th 1580**

 **The Skies of Vale**

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is coming with me to Beacon! This is the best day ever!" Yang exclaimed on the airship to Beacon, pulling Ruby into a tight hug.

"Please stop…" Ruby moaned.

"Oooh, but I'm so proud of you!" Yang responded, releasing Ruby from her tight grip. "You must be excited too. I mean, everyone will think that you're the bee's knees!"

"But I don't want to be the bee's knees. I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees…" Yang lowered her eyes at her sister. "Look, I got pushed ahead two years. I…I don't want anyone to think I'm special, or expect something incredible from me, or something…"

Yang pulled Ruby into another hug, this one more comforting. "You are special…You're special to me," she told her, making Ruby smile and return the hug. "Thanks, Yang," Ruby whispered.

"Hey, that crook you ran into last night, is that him?" Yang suddenly asked. Ruby spun around and scanned for Roman Torchwick, but gave a sigh of relief, as the Roman Yang was talking about was on the holographic television.

"The criminal mastermind Roman Torchwick evaded police forces last week after he attempted to rob a Dust store, though he failed thanks to a Huntress who happened to be there at the time," stated Cyril Ian. "Torchwick remains at large, and we encourage anyone with any information related to Torchwick to contact their local police department. Back to you, Lisa."

"Thank you, Cyril," said Lisa Lavender. "In other news, a recent Faunus civil rights protest turned dark when members of the White Fang disrupted it. A number of Humans and Faunus were hospitalized, though fortunately there were no casualties. The once-peaceful organization turned to acts of violence ever since its previous leader stepped down nearly five years ago and…" Lisa's video feed was abruptly cut off and replaced with a holographic video feed of Glynda Goodwitch.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch," the blonde Huntress introduced herself. "You are among a privileged few who have received the honor to attend our prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." The video ended and the holographic Glynda disappeared.

"Look, you can see Signal from up here!" Ruby exclaimed, pressing herself up against a window to see. "I guess home isn't as far as we thought," Yang told her.

Off on one side of the ship, Blake Belladonna sat along in a corner reading a book, unamused by everyone admiring the view aboard the airship. On the other side, Pyrrha Nikos was at her seat surrounded by various people praising her, asking for her autograph, or asking for combat advice to succeed at Beacon. Pyrrha, not wanting to be rude, answered all questions and gave those who asked her autograph. Once the fans dispersed, Pyrrha noticed a scraggly blond teen nearby: Jaune Arc. Jaune was bent half over against the wall, his hands at his stomach, and he was moaning up a storm.

He's got airsickness, Pyrrha noted, recognizing the symptoms immediately; Pyrrha had similar symptoms when she went sailing with her family years ago on vacation. She headed to Jaune's side while digging into her pocket and retrieving a large red handkerchief, which she hovered under Jaune's face. "Here, maybe this will help," she said, offering it to him. Jaune mumbled a "thank you" and pressed the handkerchief to his mouth before giving a lurch forward. "Um, need some help?" Pyrrha gave him a light back rub with one hand. "This always helped me whenever I get seasick."

"Except we're in the air…" Jaune gurgled. The back rub went on for less than a minute before Jaune started tilting in all directions. "Sorry! Gotta go!" he told Pyrrha before running off for the nearest trash can, where he deposited his digested breakfast into it. Jaune then collapsed by the can, remaining there for the rest of the trip.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Down on the ground level, Weiss Schnee was being escorted in a limousine by one of the many drivers of the Schnee Dust Corporation. She spent the time in silent peace, her head wild with the sort of adventures she will have as a Huntress; becoming leader of her own team which would consist of only the most elite of students, rising above the ranks of Beacon and becoming the best of the best. Weiss snapped from her fantasy when her Scroll started ringing with a message from her sister, Winter.

"Hello, Weiss. I'm sorry that I could not be home to see you off to Beacon. I wish you luck in both your progress with your eventual team and your studies. -Winter."

Just like Winter, always looking out for me even while serving the Atlesian Military, Weiss thought. Weiss' train of thought was suddenly interrupted by a loud engine beside her. Scooting to the window, Weiss' eyes widened when she saw a teenage girl riding upon a motorcycle.

The girl, with deep olive hair that reached her neck was tied into a short ponytail, wore black goggles, but Weiss could see deep olive eyes behind them, was riding upon a Fat Boy motorcycle. She was wearing an anchor grey hoodie and a black combat vest over the hoodie. Weiss could see her matching anchor grey camouflage cargo pants' hips with a leather grey belt. Pressing against the pedals were a set of black combat boots, and black leather fingerless, Ridgeback gloves were adorned upon her hands. The teen noticed Weiss looking at her and flashed her a Cheshire grin, and Weiss then noticed a pair of wireless headphones around her ears.

"Driving a motorcycle while listening to music? Barbaric," Weiss muttered. The teen glanced at Weiss a few times then pulled ahead, where she drove in front of the limousine, cutting it off and forcing the driver to slam on the brake, flinging Weiss to the car floor. "Ms. Schnee, are you alright?" exclaimed the driver.

"I'm fine. Please, continue towards our destination." The driver nodded and picked up speed again as Weiss sat herself back down, now feeling rather shaken and angry at that crazy teenager.

Ahead of the Schnee limousine, that teenager, Olivia Marquette, was heading for Beacon Academy for initiation, hoping that she will become a Huntress. She zoomed down the busy streets, avoiding cars in her path before turning down the long and winding road that lead to Beacon. With the sudden change in direction, the sun now shone in her face; she tapped a finger to the side of her aviator goggles and the lenses turned a tinted brown as Beacon loomed in the distance.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby and Yang disembarked the airship with everyone at the airship platform. Everyone stared in awe up at the magnificent Beacon Academy except for Jaune, who dashed to a nearby trash can one last time. "Wow, this is incredible," Yang commented.

Ruby, however, was more entranced by the passing students' weapons. "Sis, look! That girl has a collapsable staff! Ah, and she's got a fire sword!" Yang had to hold Ruby down to keep her from wandering off.

"Ruby, you need to stop being so obsessive over weapons," she advised.

"But weapons are an extensive of ourselves! They're like a piece of our souls!" Ruby argued.

"Well, you need to make some actual friends, Ruby."

"But why would I need new friends when I've got you?"

"Well, my friends are already here, so I gotta go!" Yang said with haste as a number of people Ruby did not recognize appeared and whisked Yang off so fast it made Ruby's head spin. She ended up dizzy and collapsed onto a trolley holding several luggage cases, which sparked an outcry from Weiss Schnee.

Ruby tried apologizing while picking up the luggage, only for Weiss to yank each one from her. "How can you be so clumsy?" Weiss snapped after gathering up her luggage while Ruby looked down at her feet in embarrassment.

"Hey, there a problem here?" Olivia Marquette asked, strolling over to see what the commotion was about, who replaced her helmet with an anchor grey box cap, which she pulled her ponytail through and had her goggles resting atop the brim. On her left waist was a grey sash bearing a green sun.

"You! You sideswiped my limo out in Vale!" Weiss snapped, pointing at Olivia.

"Oh, that. So…what about it?" Olivia asked with her Cheshire grin.

"'What about it!?' You could've gotten me killed!"

"Geez, it sure is loud around here," said a new voice, this time belonging to a caucasian Wolf Faunus with dark grey hair and piercing amber gold wolfish eyes. He was wearing an apple red long-sleeve shirt with a popped collar with an obsidian black cargo vest over it, a hot pink handkerchief tied around his neck, washed-out faded blue jeans and red and black sneakers. There was a symbol that appeared like a slanted amber-colored wolf eye imprinted on his vest's left breast pocket. Two wolf ears poked out amongst his hair, and there were two matching blades on his back. The swords were thin and made of stainless obsidian and were straight and curved at the ends. The hilts were a crystal black with amber lines running through them like blood veins and the pommels appeared like large screw heads. Jutting out from the stub crossguards were thin grey metal bars for Tristan's fingers to rest against holding the hilts. "You think people would be more excited being at Beacon rather than being bitchy about it."

"And who are you?" Weiss demanded.

"Name's Tristan Cortes, sweet cheeks. Now, how about I show you around the campus grounds a little, huh?" Tristan said with a fanged grin, making Weiss give a disgusting face in return. With a huff, she gathered her belongings and continued on. "I can show myself around just fine," Weiss shot at him.

"Um, thank you," Ruby told Tristan. "No problem at all," Tristan said before leaving.

"Geez, we've been here for less than an hour and we've pissed off the Schnee heiress," Olivia commented, making Ruby chuckle. Nearby, a group of people dressed similar to Olivia waved at her, beckoning her over. "Oops, there's my team. Gotta go!"

"Wait, you have a team already?" Ruby asked, making Olivia stop in her tracks.

"Nope. That's Glas Radiance, my old team. They came to help deliver my luggage to Beacon. Oh, before I go, what's your name?" Ruby introduced herself, and Olivia did the same. "Seeya around, Ruby Rose!" Ruby said goodbye back.

"Um, hi," said a new voice behind Ruby. Turning around, she was met with Jaune Arc. "My name's Jaune."

"Hey, aren't you that guy that puked on the airship?" Ruby asked with a chuckle.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

A little later, and Ruby and Jaune found themselves in the auditorium with the rest of the initiates. Ruby left Jaune to go be with Yang, where they were soon joined by a displeased Weiss. Jaune, however, hovered near by them, interested in the Schnee heiress while Pyrrha watched him from afar. Who is this boy? Pyrrha wondered, feeling herself drawn to Jaune for some unknown reason.

Ozpin soon came out onto the stage, accompanied by Glynda and Kyler. Ruby gave a silent wave to Kyler, who returned it back with a smile. Ozpin cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone. "I'll keep this brief," he told everyone. "You've traveled here today in search of knowledge to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose and direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." Ozpin stepped away and went off stage, where he disappeared without a further word.

Glynda swiftly took his place. "You will all gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation test begins. Be ready." Glynda followed after Ozpin, to which Kyler took her place.

"Now, I know that some of you may be excited to be here, some of you may be worried, nervous, scared even. Some of you may be discouraged if you fail initiation. I want to let all of you know that no matter what happens, so long as you keep your dreams of becoming Huntsmen and Huntresses solid and strong, you will overcome anything before you," Kyler told everyone, which boosted some peoples' moral. "One last thing, and I want all of you to remember this for the rest of your lives. No matter what happens to you, whether you fail to become a Huntsman, whether someone in your life dies, whether things don't go as planned, or anything of the sort, you must remember to keep moving forward. That is the most important thing you can ever do when life goes down the wrong path; learn from what happened, grow stronger from it, and move forward." Kyler left the stage, entering through the same door Ozpin and Glynda took.

In the audience, everyone was muttering about what Ozpin and Kyler told them. "Ozpin seemed kinda off, almost like he wasn't even there," Yang mentioned.

"I think what Mister Wolf said was inspiring," Ruby noted. Yang, Weiss, and Jaune gave her a puzzling look. "Oh, you guys don't know him. His name is Kyler Carnaid, but I call him Mister Wolf—"

"Wait, that was Kyler Carnaid?" Weiss interrupted. Ruby nodded. "You do realize who he is, correct?" A shake of the head now. "Kyler Carnaid is among the best Huntsmen of the four Kingdoms. He's considered a Master-level Huntsmen, having defended the Kingdoms from the Grimm and criminals for many years since he graduated from Haven Academy, from what I hear. I have heard word that the High Council intends to create a new Huntsmen rank specifically for him, given his record."

"Ya seem to admire him, Schnee," Olivia said with a laugh as she strolled over. Weiss shot her a mean glare.

"He is among the best of the best, after all. What's not to admire about him?" Weiss retorted with pride.

"I gotta say, I want to know what sort of make up he uses," Yang wondered. "He's gotta be at least forty years old with a Huntsmen record like that, but he looks no older than twenty-five or so."

"How do you know about him, and why do you call him 'Mister Wolf'?" Weiss asked Ruby. Ruby gave a quick rundown of how she met Kyler when she was young and learned how he and her mother used to be allies.

"That's odd…I don't remember mom ever mentioning this Kyler guy before," Yang said when Ruby had finished. They did not have time to ponder this further, as they were among the few left in the auditorium, so they had to scramble to catch up to the others before getting lost.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Later that night, in the ballroom, everyone had gathered to sleep the night away on cots and sleeping bags, having changed into their nightwear to get comfortable. Ruby and Yang were situated side by side, with Ruby writing a letter to her friends at Signal and Yang checking out the guys and girls alike. She glanced at the various guys flexing their muscles, Jaune, who, even for a wimp, had worked out a bit before coming to Beacon, which Yang took note of at his bottom as he headed for the restroom to change. Some of the girls here are sexy too, Yang thought to herself as she watched some of the girls wander about, but her gaze was quickly captured by Olivia Marquette, who was openly changing by her sleeping bag with a duffel bag nearby. She pulled her hoodie off, revealing an olive green long sleeve under armour shirt made of polyester, which slightly clung to her body. The curious gazes soon turned into hooting from some of the guys when Olivia took off her shirt and sports bra, revealing her bare athletic body and a black sleeve tattoo that resembled circuitry lines and shapes from a circuit board on her right arm and a couple scars on her left arm for a brief minute before an olive-colored wife beater shirt took its place, followed by a pair of grey track pants. "She's an interesting one," Yang commented as Olivia laid down to sleep.

Over by a corner, Weiss Schnee was having what presumed to be a pleasant conversation with a caucasian girl with amethyst purple-colored eyes and long black hair. In another corner, Tristan Cortes was in his maroon boxers and white undershirt skimming through a magazine entitled "PlayFaunus," which earned some disgusting looks from passing girls. Near him was Lucas Dias, who was fast asleep in his sleeping bag with his face buried into his pillow. Elsewhere, Nora Valkyrie was playfully bouncing around Lie Ren, who was straightening out his sleeping bag, though Nora's, whose was right next to his, was an untidy mess; her neighbor grumbled to himself in his bag and threw his pillow over his face to muffle her voice.

As for Jaune, he was just leaving the restroom wearing a bright blue set of bunny pajamas (complete with bunny feet even), grumbling to himself as he remembered one of his sisters, Violet, bought him a "new set of pajamas for little brother to wear at Beacon," though he had no idea this was what she bought. "I should've known she'd do this to me. Now I look stupid," Jaune moaned to himself as he headed for the restroom entrance, only to bump into Pyrrha Nikos, who was heading in to change. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she quickly said to him.

"No, no, it's my fault; I wasn't watching where I was going," spoke Jaune. Pyrrha gave him a smile, noticing his choice in pajamas. Jaune noticed too. "These aren't mine…Well, they are mine, but they were a joke gift from one of my sisters, which I didn't know until too late, so this is all I had to wear tonight."

Pyrrha gave a giggle. "Well, I must say, it takes a lot of guts to wear something like bunny pajamas." Jaune gave a sarcastic chuckle in return, feeling as though Pyrrha was trying to embarrass him. "You're the one who got sick on the airship, correct?" A nod from Jaune. "I guess my back rub didn't help much, huh?"

Jaune's eyes widened. "That was you? Well, thanks…kinda. I mean, I appreciate you trying to help me back there and all, but it didn't really help."

"Yeah…I guess it didn't…" Pyrrha felt as though the conversation was growing awkward, from talking about bunny pajamas and airsickness, so she excused herself and headed for a stall to change into, but Jaune stopped her dead in her tracks with "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"

"Um…I don't think so," Pyrrha quickly played off, praying to the Gods above that this boy wasn't going to turn into another devoted admirer of hers.

Jaune went over to get a closer look at Pyrrha. "I just feel like I've seen you somewhere before. Mind if I ask what your name is?"

"I'm Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos," she said with a smile. _Will he recognize me?_

Jaune stared at Pyrrha for about a minute, with each passing second making her more and more nervous until he shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's just my imagination. Sorry about that." Pyrrha accepted his apology, telling him it's nothing. "Seeya around, Pyrrha," Jaune waved her as he left, and she returned with the same. Outside people began snickering upon seeing Jaune's pajamas; some even burst-out laughing.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

Everyone rose up from their beds to prepare themselves for initiation, from showering, dressing, and having breakfast before retreating to the locker rooms to gear up. Ren and Nora prepared themselves by gathering their weapons and deciding on a secret signal to find each other. "Can you imitate a sloth?" Nora asked her dear friend.

"Nora, I don't think sloths make a lot of noise," Ren told her. "But that's why it's perfect! That way no one will suspect us of working together!" Nora retorted back before they went off for the cliffs. Ruby and Yang had a hearty discussion about Ruby trying to find other friends beside Yang before they went off as well.

Olivia got dressed in the same outfit as yesterday, with the addition of an microphone earpiece in her left ear. She went to one of the foot lockers that she brought with her—which was cast in an olive color and had "Happiness is a Warm Olive" inscribed upon it—and opened it, revealing four guns inside. On top was her custom-made olive-colored assault rifle, Eclipse. She then took the two olive-colored custom Hi-Power mark III pistols each with an under barrel shotgun attachment with "Prime" and "Echo" inscribed on their sides and slung them to her knees. Last, her giant revolver "Olive," which went to her right butt cheek. She went to another locker and pulled out a small missile launcher and a sling of four missiles. After slinging all these onto her body, Olivia strolled outside towards the cliffs, accompanied by Blake Belladonna, who gave the girl a passing glance, though Olivia gave her her Cheshire grin.

In the lockers still, Weiss and the amethyst purple girl were with Pyrrha having a pleasant chat. The amethyst purple girl was dressed in a white button-down shirt that was tucked into black pants. She was wearing a black leather belt with a gold buckle depicting a sea ship, and she had black high-heel boots on, which her pant legs covered up down to her ankles. She had two loose black and gold belts attached to the main one, which hung loosely at her sides. At her left hip was an elegant sword, and around her body was an amethyst purple trench coat with a leather brown shoulder strap and on her hands, expensive black leather gloves. On her back was her emblem: a galleon ship facing east with senna leaves adorning around the ship.

"So, Pyrrha, I was thinking that you, Senna Raleigh here, and I would make for a perfect team, what do you say?" Weiss suggested. Senna stood by silently, watching how this unfolds.

"Well, I was thinking of…just letting the chips fall where they may," Pyrrha told her.

"Well, however they fall, I hope you end up with a supportive and well-rounded team, Pyrrha," Senna comforted, making Pyrrha smile. "I'm sure I will get myself a great team as well, with me as leader, hopefully."

Weiss, at that moment, was devilish imagining what it would be like to have Pyrrha on her team. The smartest girl and the most powerful girl on one team, where no one can defeat us! We'll get perfect grades! We'll be popular! We'll be perfect! No one will match up to us! Weiss thought.

"You know who else would be perfect? Me, Jaune Arc," Jaune interrupted, jumping into the mix. He shot a hello at Pyrrha, who said the same back. "So, Snow Angel, while I don't normally do this, I might be able to pull some strings and help get you placed on Team Jaune, waddya say?"

Weiss gave a disgusting look, but Pyrrha and Senna seem to be enjoying what was unfolding. "Well, I doubt you even have the power to do such a thing, Mr. Jaune Arc," Senna lightly teased. Jaune gave her a good glare.

"And what makes you think that I can't?" Jaune retorted.

"Because even with my title, I wouldn't be able to 'pull some strings,' so to speak." Jaune opened his mouth to ask, but Senna cut him off. "And before you ask, I happen to be the heiress behind the Raleigh Winery Company, so I've got a good standing, though not as high as Weiss, being the Schnee Dust Corporation's heiress, or perhaps like Pyrrha."

"Wait a second. Pyrrha, you're a heiress to a company? Why didn't you tell me?" Jaune blurted out, his face twisted in surprise.

"Jaune, do you not know who Pyrrha Nikos is?" Weiss questioned sternly. He shook his head. "Well, she graduated top of her class at Sanctum, for one thing." Pyrrha looked down at her hands in embarrassment. "Um, so?" Jaune asked, surprising Weiss and Pyrrha.

Weiss gave a scoff. "She's also won the Mistral Regional Tournament four times in a row, a new record, I might add." Silence from Jaune, who did not understand how important that was. "She's also on the cover of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes cereal!" Jaune gave a gasp.

"That's you!? No wonder I thought I recognized you last night; Pumpkin Pete's only does that for star athletes and cartoon characters!" Jaune blubbered, making Pyrrha giggle.

"Yeah, it was a pretty neat endorsement. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you," she explained. Pyrrha was now starting to like Jaune more and more now.

"So, do you honestly believe you can measure up to Pyrrha with accomplishments like that, let alone be on the same team with her?" Weiss retorted, making Jaune slump in his spot.

"I think you would make a great team leader, Jaune," Pyrrha quickly said, patting his shoulder.

"Doh, stop!" Jaune squealed, being the embarrassed one now. Weiss shot Pyrrha a look that told her not to encourage him. The four of them headed off for the cliffs; Jaune and Pyrrha lagged behind so Jaune could ask her about what it was like sponsoring for Pumpkin Pete's, which Pyrrha did not mind answering, instead finding it amusing that he was more interested in her endorsement deals than the rest of her accomplishments.

Ozpin and Glynda were the last to arrive at the cliffs, mostly due to Ozpin meeting Lucas Dias along the way and stopping to chat with him. Ozpin noted how much Lucas had changed over the year since he dropped him off at Qrow's door; now dressed in a cerulean blue hoodie vest (which bore the same Mistral symbol on its back) with an anchor grey shirt, wood brown cargo pants, a black glove with the thumb and the first two fingers missing, and black converses. At his right side was a hip-long pouch filled with shotgun shells. On his back was his shotgun in a new sling. "I see the training with Qrow has been successful, but I'm surprised that you did not follow in Qrow's footsteps and choose to wield a scythe," Ozpin commented as the three of them strolled towards the cliffs off the Emerald Forest.

"Well, he did train me in scythe wielding, but I thought it wasn't my sort of thing," Lucas told him. "But I have mastered my Aura and unlocked my Semblance though, and that counts for something." Ozpin smiled. He ordered Lucas to go ahead of him to prepare for initiation.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Everyone stood at the cliffside overlooking the Emerald Forest. Some people were chatting amongst themselves, like Ruby, Tristan, and Yang. Some, like Weiss and Lucas, were standing around patiently and impatiently. Others, like Nora, Olivia, and Pyrrha, were gazing upon the Emerald Forest, though Nora was just enjoying the view whereas Olivia and Pyrrha were getting a scope of the land using their goggles and rifle's scope respectively.

Within time, Ozpin and Glynda arrived at the cliffs. Glynda ordered everyone to stand upon a long line of steel panels while Ozpin gave instructions. "All of you shall be sent into the Emerald Forest, and from there, you must make your way to the ruins of an ancient temple where a series of relics have been placed for you to collect. You must collect one relic apiece and return to these cliffs. If you accomplish that, then you shall be accepted into Beacon. However, be warned, the Emerald Forest is teeming with dangerous creatures; if you are not careful, you will surely perish," he explained, sparking murmurs amongst the initiates. Nora was among the few who was grinning from ear to ear at the danger of possible death.

"Now, any questions?" Ozpin asked everyone. Jaune raised his hand and began, but… "Good! Everyone, take your positions!" Ozpin spoke, cutting Jaune off.

"But sir, how are we entering the Emerald Forest?" questioned Jaune. "Are you dropping us off or something?" On the other side of the line, the steel panels began launching initiates into the sky one-by-one.

"No, you will be flying," Ozpin answered with a grin. More students went flying into the air, including Blake Belladonna, Olivia Marquette, and Cardin Winchester.

"I understand that now, but isn't there some kind of landing strategy you will be giving us?" The steel panels continued firing initiates into the forest. Weiss, Tristan, Nora, Ren, Lucas, Senna…

"No, you will be making your own landing strategy," Ozpin told Jaune just as Yang was launched followed by Ruby.

"So…what is a landing strategy exa–!" Jaune got out before being launched into the air with a scream. Ozpin and Glynda watched the young men and women soar through the air, with Jaune's screams still echoing into the sky.

"You think they will be alright?" Glynda asked Ozpin, watching Jaune twirl about in the air, unlike the rest, who remained straight and aligned.

Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "I'm sure they will be just fine."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby smacked into a large crow that crossed her path before she let loose several shots from Crescent Rose to slow her descent, then smacked the scythe's blade around a tree branch to slow her descent again, and landed safely. She dashed off through the forest calling for Yang, unaware that Yang was far gone, having blasted her way across the forest treetops before making her landing. Weiss had already landed, having used her glyphs to bounce around before reaching safety. Blake applied her Aura to her feet, allowing her to land onto the ground without taking damage. Ren somersaulted through the air, where he hooked his StormFlower around a tree and swirled down it. Nora was nowhere to be seen. Pyrrha had crashed through a few tree branches before landing onto a thick branch, where she switched Miló to rifle form and spied Jaune tumbling through the air, still screaming, and with no landing strategy planned. Pyrrha switched Miló to its javelin form and took aim.

Tristan landed upon a set of tree branches with grace, then glanced up at the sky, where he could see the tumbling speck that was Jaune sailing through the air with a scream. "I wonder if he will be alright," Tristan wondered aloud as he watched Jaune. Suddenly, a loud bang was heard, one that forced Tristan to cover his human ears, and he saw Jaune being yanked by some spear-like weapon that was flying and pulled him into the trees. He heard Jaune call out "Thank you!" followed by Pyrrha answering with "I'm sorry!"

"Well, I guess he's alright." Tristan said just before Olivia Marquette came skydiving through the air. She aimed for a set of trees, where she hit the jet boosters on her combat boots, slowing her descent where she stepped down onto the ground.

"Well, that was fun," Olivia noted as she sprang up, goggles on her face, and Eclipse in her hands, scanning the area for Grimm or allies. After a quick check that it was clear, she headed off into the forest, Eclipse trained ahead of her.

Lucas simply tucked himself into a ball and applied Aura around himself for protection before hitting the dirt and rolling along the ground before springing to his feet and breaking into a run, using the momentum from his roll to gain extra speed. Senna was still soaring through the air by the time everyone else had landed, but she had her landing strategy planned out back at the cliffs. She ran her hands down her amethyst purple trench coat and then shot them forward as the ground rapidly accelerated towards her. A transparent shield made of amethyst purple Aura appeared around her crackling with amethyst purple lightning sparks as she crashed into the earth. When Senna recovered, she was unharmed, but lightning sparks were dancing along the edges of her trench coat. She shook herself clear and drew her longsword Nobilis, an elegant yet expensive-looking longsword with an amethyst purple steel blade that crackled with small lightning sparks to the scabbard when she drew it. She dashed off into the forest.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune was currently pinned to a tree by his hood with Pyrrha's spear keeping him in place. "Well, at least I got myself a landing strategy," Jaune moaned as his legs swung helplessly. He tried tugging at the spear, but given his current position, his efforts were in vain. "Can anyone help me out here?" he called out into the forest. He was soon answered with a loud growl; a Stage 1 Beowolf—a young one at that—emerged from a bush and gazed up at Jaune, its eyes glowing with hunger. It let loose a loud roar, but it was abruptly silenced by a gun blast to the Beowolf's head, splitting it into pieces and sending the corpse to the ground where it disintegrated. From another bush, Olivia appeared, smoke emerging from the barrel of Olive.

"What are you doing up there, Jaune?" Olivia asked, flashing him her Cheshire grin.

"Oh, you know, just hanging around," he joked.

"Well, you certainly picked a bad time to do it," said Tristan, who hopped down onto a tree branch. Weiss then emerged from another bush to find the three together. Tristan gave a wave, Olivia gave her trademark grin, and Jaune gave a weak wave, prompting Weiss to turn around and return to Ruby, the first person she met; she would rather partner with Ruby than have to deal with the three people she disliked most in the world, and she met them only a day ago.

Pyrrha emerged from a bush soon after Weiss left, and the shock on her face told Olivia and Tristan everything; they could tell she wanted to partner with Jaune. "Well, Tristan, shall we go search for the relic?" Olivia asked the wolfish teen. Tristan hopped down and the two wandered off into the foliage. Once they were gone, Pyrrha let loose a sigh of relief and turned to Jaune.

"So, Jaune, is there any more room left on your perfect team?" Pyrrha jokingly asked.

"Very funny," Jaune frowned, crossing his arms. His frown soon turned into a smile to Pyrrha, who gave one back before climbing up the tree to release him.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ren had found himself attacked by a King Taijitu, but he was able to kill it before it could make a meal out of him. As he stood over the corpse of the giant snake as it disintegrated, a long animal-like sound rang behind him, making him spin around. Nora fell hanging from a tree upside down, giving him a wide grin. "Just like a sloth!" she chirped.

"I don't think that's what a sloth sounds like," Ren told her. She giggled and tapped his nose with a "boop," making him smile in return. "So, looks like we're partners now, Nora."

"Yay!" she cheered, falling from the tree and into Ren's arms.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and Pyrrha were foraging through the forest in search of the ruins where the relics were kept. Pyrrha's eyes were shifting back and forth for danger, but Jaune was staring straight ahead absent-mindedly. Pyrrha pushed aside a tree branch, but it as soon as she passed, it whipped back and struck Jaune in the face, knocking him down. "Jaune, I'm sorry!" Pyrrha called, rushing to help him to his feet. Pyrrha noticed a small cut across his cheek. "Why didn't you use your Aura to stop the tree branch from hurting you?"

"My what?" Jaune asked, puzzled.

"Your Aura."

"Bless you."

Pyrrha shook her head. "Jaune, do you know how to properly use your Aura?"

"Well…I…of course I do!" That uncertainly told Pyrrha everything. He had absolutely no idea what Aura is, but that concerned Pyrrha, who was wondering how he even made it this far to Beacon without knowing how to use his Aura properly.

"Here, let me help." Pyrrha approached Jaune and placed her hands upon his cheek and onto his chestplate. "Just close your eyes, relax, and clear your mind." Jaune gave a nod and obeyed. Pyrrha directed her Aura through Jaune's entire body, searching for his Aura with hers. She soon found it located in his mind. She guided her Aura inside and found his, and she worked with it to unlock it. During this, Pyrrha's body glowed with a red aura, her own, and Jaune's bright white with his. However, what Pyrrha found was not Aura, but something else entirely different; something more powerful and plentiful than Aura. She could feel her Aura weaken coming into contact with this strange Aura, but she kept at it, and she soon unlocked it. She gave a gasp and began panting for a brief moment, but she soon calmed down, and she began to speak. "For it is passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee…" The words that left Pyrrha's lips were ones that she did not know herself, nor did it feel like she was speaking them of her own will. Pyrrha collapsed to the ground, forcing Jaune to lift her up. Their Auras stopped glowing around them, and Pyrrha soon recovered.

"Pyrrha, are you okay?" Jaune inquired.

"I'm fine, I just inserted some of my Aura into your body to unlock yours," she answered. She watched as the cut on his cheek glowed white before healing in mere seconds. "You have a lot of Aura inside you, but it is yours to control and master." Jaune marveled at his body, which glowed a bright white for a brief moment, before the pair continued on through the forest. Unaware to him, however, his right hand revealed what appeared to be a tattoo of a black round shield with a spear crossing it underneath his glove.

 _Jaune, just who exactly are you?_ she wondered with concern as he lead the two of them further into the forest.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The initiates eventually found their way to the ruins, where a series of black and white chess pieces sat upon pedestals, though four were missing. "Well, I guess we're supposed to just take one apiece," Yang noted as everyone went around. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang took themselves four matching white knight pieces. Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren took four matching white rook pieces. Lucas, Olivia, Senna, and Tristan grabbed four white bishop pieces.

"Well, that wasn't too hard," said Jaune, which Pyrrha nodded about, even though the two of them ran into a large Death Stalker earlier.

"Well, we best hurry back to the cliffs before something bad happens," Olivia noted, sticking a fresh cartridge into Eclipse and making the ammo counter read "50."

"Yes, staying here in Grimm territory will only endanger us further," Ren added. Everyone was about to turn and leave when a loud "caw" echoed across the sky. Everyone scanned the skies and saw a giant Nevermore coming towards them.

"It's a Nevermore!" Senna exclaimed. "It looks it's a Stage 4, making it a Class C danger level!"

"Oh, geez, thanks for reading it straight out of the Grimm Monster Manual or whatever!" Tristan shot at her.

"Everyone, let's go! We gotta go now!" Ruby ordered, making everyone follow after her. Just as they started running, a loud screech echoed around them, and the Death Stalker Jaune and Pyrrha encountered earlier emerged from some trees.

"Oh, Gods, how much worse can it get?!" Jaune whined, but at that moment, a swarm of Ursai and Beowolves emerged from the woods, all of them between Stages 1 and 3, towering over the initiates easily.

"You just had to say something," Lucas commented.

"Follow me!" Ruby called, speeding off in one direction with everyone following her. Pyrrha, Ren, Yang, Nora, and Olivia used their guns as they ran at any Grimm that attempted to charge them, but the way ahead was blocked with three large Ursai; everyone knew that stopping to fight them would result in being surrounded. "We've got this!" Weiss and Senna declared, jumping ahead of the group. Weiss drew Myrtenaster, armed its fire dust cartridge, and Senna ran fingers along her trench coat. Weiss fired off a ray of fire at one Ursa, sending it down dead, while Senna struck her hands out and struck down the remaining two Ursai with streaks of lightning.

The group dashed through the opening, but Lucas, Olivia, Senna, and Tristan were cut off from the rest as the opening was quickly closed by Grimm, cutting the stragglers off from the rest. "Oh, damn," Lucas muttered as he drew his weapon, Fida'an.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The rest of the initiates made it to the bottom of a cliff with the fragile remains of an old temple hovering over a foggy abyss. The Nevermore and Death Stalker chased after them, as the remaining lesser Grimm chose to stick with the others. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang climbed atop the ruins and worked to shoot down the Nevermore while Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren were trapped on a broken bridge fighting the Death Stalker.

With quick reflexes and strategies by Ruby and Jaune, the Nevermore soon found itself decapitated and the Death Stalker at the bottom of the ravine with no one seriously injured. The group chose to return to the ruins as quick as possible to aid the others. When they got there, they found Lucas, Olivia, Senna, and Tristan arranged in a cube formation pushing their way forward through the Grimm, all of whom constantly advanced on the four students. Lucas shot any Ursa or Beowolf that came at him with precise accuracy, Olivia kept most of them at a distance with Eclipse and her launcher, Senna sliced at any that came close while shooting lightning at the ones from afar, and Tristan did the same, shooting arrows made from his Aura with his swords merged at the pommels. The others joined in among their ranks, and the Grimm soon began dwindling down until there was none left, with only splattered Grimm blood and empty bullet and Dust cartridges as proof of the battle. The entire group, now knowing the area was safe, all collapsed together in a heap, leaning upon each other and their weapons for support. "I vote we rest for a couple minutes before we head back to Beacon," Ruby moaned with the shaft of Crescent Rose propped against her.

"I would argue against that motion as I suggested before about getting back as soon as possible, but I think we all need a few minutes to even stand up," Olivia wheezed with her arm propped against her empty launcher and Eclipse at her foot.

Jaune was leaning against Pyrrha's shoulder and the shield to Crocea Mors. "I have to agree with you both on that," he groaned as he shifted his body, making his bones pop.

"Am I the only one who can still keep on going?" Nora asked with a grin. Ren laid at her feet. "I'd imagine so, Nora," he told her.

"As soon as we get back, I'm gonna rub one out and go to bed," Tristan yawned. Weiss and Blake gave him a disgusted look, but Ruby was confused at his phrase of "rubbing one out."

"At least we got the relics and kicked some ass," Yang grinned, sweat pouring down her face and mixing into her hair.

"Yes, we did really good today," Blake said with a smile. "We all did good."

After a short rest, they all picked themselves up, gathered their gear, and headed back to the Beacon Cliffs, where Ozpin and Glynda were waiting for them. The group was taken to the infirmary where some of the other initiates were being patched up, then everyone gathered in the auditorium, where Ozpin, Glynda, and Kyler stood on stage with the group, who were the last to return.

"Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, and Sky Lark, you four recovered the black bishop pieces, and so, you four shall be known as Team CRDL, lead by Cardin Winchester," ("So that's how the team organizing works," Yang whispered to Ruby) Ozpin stated to the four, who stood straight and proud. Cardin let slip a smirk at being named leader. Ozpin passed them and moved onto the next initiates, while Kyler gave Cardin a nod.

"Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, and Lie Ren, you four recovered the white rook pieces, so you four shall be united as Team JNPR…" Ozpin stated. "…and your leader shall be Jaune Arc." Jaune was astonished, but Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren gave him encouraging smiles instead. "Well done, young man, I expect great things from you," Ozpin added to Jaune with a smile before moving onto the next team. Kyler went forward and shook Jaune's hand.

"Lucas Dias, Olivia Marquette, Senna Raleigh, and Tristan Cortes, you four recovered the white bishop pieces, and so, you four shall be known as Team LOST, with Lucas Dias as your leader." Lucas was the one to be shocked now. Olivia gave a whoop and Tristan threw his fists into the air and latched himself onto Olivia in a hug. Senna went to her new leader and shook his hand while giving him a compliment. As the newly-formed Team LOST celebrated on stage, Ozpin moved onto the remaining four students.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long, you four recovered the white knight pieces, and so, you shall be named Team RWBY, with Ruby Rose as your leader. Yang jumped onto Ruby in a tight embrace, expressing her happiness for her little sister while Ruby moaned. Weiss was shocked that Ruby was chosen as leader over her, who she believed to be far more capable. Blake simply smiled and watched everyone silently. "It looks like it's going to be an interesting year."

Later that night, the teams all gathered into their new dorm rooms, where their belongings have been delivered. The newly-formed RWBY all changed into their pajamas and crawled into their beds and dozed off. Across the hallway from them, JNPR was the same, though Nora chose to bounce on her new bed for a while until she soon tired herself out and went to bed. Down the hall, LOST all changed into their pajamas and went to bed, and near their room, CRDL was all growing accustomed to their new room before turning in for the night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

Team RWBY woke up to a bright morning, to which they began unpacking their clothes and

possessions and decorating their dorm; Ruby hung up the curtains, organized her clothes, weapon attachments and gear for Crescent Rose, and set up picture frames of her family, and Weiss set up and organized her desk with various cosmetics and belongings from home, Blake set up a little bookshelf (including the hiding of a book entitled Ninjas of Love), and Yang decorated her walls with a poster of the Achieve Men and various posters of brawlers and fighting champions. Decorating proved to be troublesome and ended up creating a massive clutter, so RWBY opted to turn their beds into bunk beds. Once they had all finished, everyone undressed and went to the conjoined bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Across the hall, JNPR woke up and began to unpack as well. Jaune unpacked a photo of his family, numerous issues of X-Ray & Vav, and some fantasy books. Pyrrha unpacked roughly the same, but in addition to her family photo and X-Ray & Vav issues, she set up a picture frame of her Sanctum class photo, four medals she earned for her tournament winnings, and a talisman of a shield with a spear crossing before it. Ren and Nora had little to unpack aside from their clothes. When the time came to shower, Jaune offered the girls to go first, as it being the first day together as a team, they have yet to establish any normalcy regarding the co-ed living arrangements. While waiting for Pyrrha and Nora to finish getting ready, Jaune noticed something on the back of his right hand: a black-inked tattoo of a spear crossing in front of a round shield, very similar to Pyrrha's symbol. When did this appear? It wasn't there when I left home for Beacon, Jaune wondered, taking care to keep it hidden until he would dress and get his gloves on.

In their dorm, LOST was unpacking as well before getting ready for the day. Lucas had little aside from a few sets of casual clothes, though he had a picture frame of him with a number of men and women around his age range and older, all of them dressed in ripped clothes that all bore the symbol he wore. Olivia soon went to work converting her walk-in closet into a closet armory with the extra weapons she brought along, from a couple shotguns, a sniper rifle, some pistols, and a few explosives, then she set up a photo of her old group, Glas Radiance, depicting everyone lined up dressed similar and bearing the green sun on all of them; Olivia was positioned next to a green-haired boy who looked exactly like herself and went into the bathroom to shower. Senna took time in unpacking, making sure everything was neat and tidy, most especially her trench coat, which she hung on a coat hanger on her closet's door, then went to work tiding her dresser and desk. Tristan threw all his clothes into his dresser with no rhyme or reason, tossed his combat attire onto his desk's chair, and his weapons near the desk; his closet remained unused, and Senna noticed no one shred of decent clothing such as pants or a polo shirt while he was tossing clothes everywhere. Tristan hid several dirty magazines of various genres under his mattress and laid a picture frame of his family on his nightstand, depicting a younger him, his Wolf Faunus parents, and a young, strange-looking human girl with multicolored hair, giving the camera a grin.

By the time all three teams had finished unpacking and getting ready, they were late for their first class. Everyone dashed from the dormitories, a couple of them half-dressed even; Jaune was slipping his jacket on as he ran, Tristan was tugging his pants on as he ran down the hall with his team, and Yang was running a large comb through her hair, water droplets hitting the floor as they ran. Along the way, they ran into Teams CRDL and CFVY, who realized they were late for class as well and joined alongside them. They all passed by Ozpin and Glynda, who were watching them hurry to class. "To think, the next generation of Paladins are among them, and they're running late for class on their first day," grumbled Glynda.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **One Week Later**

The first week at Beacon for the new teams went smoothly for the most part, though there happened to be a lot of tension among teammates given their new partnerships and living arrangements. RWBY had no trouble with this, though Weiss acted extremely bossy and strict with everyone and even snapped at Ruby, calling her an incompetent leader and felt that she should be leader instead. Across the hall, Jaune was proving to be inadequate as a leader, as their morning schedule was still unorganized and a jumbled mess, and he still was unable to control Nora, though Ren could to a certain extent. The team still have not adjusted to their co-ed living arrangements together, and this often resulted in Jaune and Ren looking the other way whenever Pyrrha and Nora had to change clothes or use the bathroom, and vice versa. Pyrrha supported every action Jaune made and often gave her input to help, which gave the blond leader some confidence. For Team LOST, there was unrest among the members; Senna constantly nagged Tristan about his perversions and threw out several of his dirty magazines, as well as Olivia and her derogatory attitude and habit of strolling through their dorm room from the shower half naked as well as leaving her belongings everyone. Lucas did not seem to mind how everyone acted, though he soon found his partner to be more annoying than the others, as she also chastised him for not controlling his teammates. Olivia did not seem to care what Senna thought of her actions and continued them, and the same went for Tristan.

One morning, from down the hall, LOST could hear Weiss arguing with Yang. "Look, whatever you may think, Ruby is our leader, and nothing will change that!" went Yang.

"Well, Ozpin can certainly change that," argued Weiss.

"He's the one who made Ruby leader in the first place! What makes you think he'll change his mind!?"

"I will convince him to change his mind then!" There was a slamming sound, and then footsteps, indicating Weiss left their room, but then more footsteps appeared; Lucas stuck his head out and saw Ruby heading down the hall, most likely after Weiss. From down the hall again, JNPR's door opened and Jaune stepped out. "Do you think they're alright?" Jaune called to Lucas, who shrugged before going back into his room. Jaune chose to explore the academy grounds a little rather than go back inside his room.

Back inside LOST's dorm room, Tristan was sitting on his bed playing a guitar, using his built-in claws as picks, Senna was reading a book while drinking earl grey tea she made from their dorm kitchen, and Olivia was disassembling Eclipse on her desk with a round black ball with colorful red lines dotting its sphere sat next to her. Lucas flopped onto his bed against the far wall and leaned back to nap until Olivia interrupted him. "So, I take it Weiss is angry about Ruby being leader over her?" she voiced, though given at how loud Weiss was a while ago, the answer was obvious. "Geez, she acts like a bitchy princess."

"I think the bitchy princess needs to take a chill pill," interjected Tristan, followed by a chuckle from him. "Get it? Cuz she uses ice and is cold." Senna and Lucas groaned to themselves. Senna looked over at Olivia, who had just pulled the barrel from Eclipse out and began running a squeegee through it to clean it. Senna got up and strolled over, where she looked at the various gun pieces on the table, but her eye was drawn to the black ball.

"What is this thing?" Senna asked, her hand reaching for it until Olivia slapped it away.

"Don't touch it, it's a bomb," Olivia casually answered, making Senna's mouth fall open in shock.

"You're keeping a bomb in our dorm room!?" she shrieked.

"Don't worry, I keep it in a box in my closet."

"How is that supposed to make me not worry?! Why on Remnant would you need a bomb!?"

Olivia gave her puzzled look, as if Senna forgot where they were and why they were there, but her face twisted into her Cheshire grin. "For when things get really hardcore, or when we need to blow shit up."

"No one is blowing anything up," Lucas stated with his eyes closed.

"You just want to suck the joy out of everything," Olivia grumbled before turning back to Eclipse. Senna collapsed onto her bed with her face burrowed into her pillow. "I got myself stuck with a team full of nut jobs," Senna moaned, muffled by her pillow.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune went down to the training facility, which was open at all hours for students and faculty to test their strength, speed, Aura, and other skills against training bots to improve themselves. Jaune felt he should pay the facility a visit after an embarrassing loss fighting against Cardin Winchester in a practice match the previous day. The training facility is arranged of multiple cubic arenas of various sizes with bleachers lining the outer rim of the facility for students and faculty to observe fights. Jaune entered a medium-sized arena and went to the console which stood on a small pedestal. He set up a single training bot armed with a sword and shield to fight him then walked onto the arena floor, where the bot emerged from the floor through moving panels.

The training bot was modeled like a metal humanoid that towered over Jaune, a design choice to give a sense of diminishment to students. The bot held a large longsword and shield in its hands and eyed Jaune through its glowing red visor, which served as its "eyes." Jaune, with a hard swallow, drew Crocea Mors and positioned himself for battle. The bot was the first to move, swinging its sword in a horizontal strike, which Jaune ducked under, then he leapt forward with a stab at the bot's ankle before leaping backwards to avoid a shield bash from it. Jaune glared the bot down for a good moment as it strolled towards him with its sword raised at its side. I gotta get behind it, he thought. He saw his chance; as the bot swung its blade down where Jaune stood, he dashed forward, where he rolled in-between its legs and ended up behind it. Jaune spun around and readied his sword to strike until the bot slammed its foot into Jaune, sending him sprawling across the floor, his sword and shield thrown from his grip. Jaune groaned on the spot, trying to pick himself up as the bot casually walked towards him. "End training!" Jaune called, which the console recognized and complied, making the training bot shut down and descend down through the floor. Jaune sighed and rolled over, facing up at the dome ceiling. Just then, Ruby popped her head in over top of him. "Hi, Jaune," she chirped before helping him to his feet.

"Hey, Ruby," he moaned, brushing the dirt off of himself. "Man, I was terrible just then, wasn't I?"

"What, no, not at all," she argued, shaking her head. "Your form was good, you just let your guard down when you thought you had the advantage. Here, I'll get your sword for you." Ruby went off and brought his sword back, which he returned to its scabbard.

"How is training coming along?" said Headmaster Ozpin, who strolled up to the two, his cane clicking along the floor.

"Hello, Headmaster," Ruby chirped with a smile. Ozpin asked Ruby to come aside, leaving Jaune alone by himself. "What is it, sir?"

"Ruby, Weiss Schnee came to me a while ago demanding that I make her leader of Team RWBY instead of you, believing that I made a mistake in choosing you." Ruby instantly slumped, her head towards the floor. "Do you believe I made the wrong choice?"

"Well, maybe…I mean…well, I'm not sure, exactly. I mean, I really appreciate all you've done for me, letting me into Beacon two years early and making me team leader, but maybe Weiss is right," Ruby hummed, tapping her fingers together.

"Ruby, I have made many mistakes during my lifetime, more so than any man, woman, or child, but in all the years I have been headmaster here at Beacon, the only time I made a mistake in assigning teams was when a team turned my choice in a mistake. If you believe that you are not qualified for being team leader, then you will only add another mistake onto my list. But, if you work hard and prove yourself as a formidable team leader, then you will confirm that I made the right choice." Ozpin gave her a smile, which she returned.

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"You best head back to your team. Show them that Ruby Rose is the best team leader that there ever was." Ruby nodded and skipped back to the dorms. Ozpin watched Jaune activate another training bot—one much smaller—for a moment before leaving the blond alone to train.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Later that night, Ruby and Weiss made up, to which Weiss told Ruby to work her hardest to become the best team leader in Beacon. "…While you're working hard to become the best team leader, I'm going to work hard to be the best teammate you can have, understand?" Weiss told her beside her bed. Ruby smiled and nodded, to which Weiss crawled into her bed, leaving Ruby to work on homework for a while longer before she too retreated to bed.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune returned from the training facility to his dorm covered head to toe in bruises and scraps. He was about to go straight to bed until Pyrrha stopped him, questioning where his injuries came from, which he answered. "Jaune, you need to be more careful with those training bots, they can seriously hurt you if you're not careful," she warned as she checked his battle wounds.

"Pyrrha, I'm fine, really," he insisted, brushing her off.

"You're not fine at all! Why on Remnant would you be practicing this much with training bots?"

"So I can try getting stronger, obviously," he scoffed as he went to his dresser for his pajamas, but Pyrrha went over and closed the dresser drawer on him and took his hand. "Come with me," she told him before dragon him out the door and down the hall.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Pyrrha lead him to a balcony on the west side of Beacon near the dorm rooms that overlooked the illuminating city of Vale. She guided him to the edge and showed him the view. "Pyrrha, honestly, I'm not that depressed. If I wanted to give up, I'd probably just become a farmer or something," he told her. She quickly realized what he was thinking and yanked him from the balcony's edge.

"No, that's not why I brought you up here!" she exclaimed. "Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class, and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so I want to help you."

"W-What?" he said, confused.

"We can train up here after class where no one can bother us instead of you hurting yourself so much against training bots."

"You really think I need help?"

"N-No! No, that's not what I meant." Jaune opened his mouth to argue that that is what she said, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time, and that doesn't make you any different from anyone else. You made it to Beacon, and not only that, Ozpin elected you leader of our team, and that speaks volumes of your capabilities."

Jaune turned away from her and looked out at Vale. "You're wrong. I don't belong here…" he muttered.

"That's a terrible thing to say. Of course you do."

"No, I don't!" he snapped, surprising her. Jaune let out a sigh and calmed down. "Look, I wasn't really accepted into Beacon…"

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests, Gods, I barely have any combat training, the extend being just backyard training with my uncle and sister using sticks as practice swords! I've had no Aura training either! I didn't properly earn my spot at this academy…I lied. I got ahold of some fake transcripts, and I snuck into Beacon, just like that."

Pyrrha was shocked, but she was curious to know more. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because it's what I've always wanted to do, ever since I was a kid!" he explained. "I grew up hearing stories of brave heroes like the Paladins of Remnant! I grew up listening to my father and uncle telling me stories about my great-great-grandfather and my ancestors who were all knights that served the Kingdom of Vale before the Huntsmen and the Great War! At least one person in each generation of my family was a knight that protected Vale and they were revered as heroes, and I wanted to be just like them…I wanted to be the next Arc Knight in our family…I just was never good enough; I was always weak, frail, small…I could never control my Aura, develop my Semblance, or anything like that…"

Pyrrha went forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then let me help you…" Jaune grew angry and swatted her hand away.

"I don't want any help! I don't want to be the damsel-in-distress! I want to be the hero!"

"Jaune…" Pyrrha stuttered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I am tired of being the lovable idiot stuck in a tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand!? If I can't do this on my own, then what good am I!?" Pyrrha took a step towards him, but he shrinked away, telling her that he did not want her comfort. "Just leave me alone…"

Pyrrha shed a tear and left him there to be alone. However, no sooner had she left, Cardin Winchester, who was perched on the window sill below the balcony where his dorm room was located, climbed up onto the balcony, his Scroll in hand. "Hey, Jaune, I heard your little conversation wth Pyrrha there," Cardin dictated, surprising Jaune. "and I have to say, that little bit of information I just recorded onto my Scroll is pretty interesting, and I think Ozpin would love to hear it…" Jaune suddenly got a really bad feeling about this.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **A Week Later**

Cardin blackmailed Jaune the entire week to do anything he demanded of him, be it schoolwork, snack buying, or miscellaneous tasks, one of which included gathered giant wasps. However, one day, while teams RWBY, JNPR, CRDL, and LOST were in the Forever Falls forest, named so for the autumn cycle the forest is eternally trapped in, Jaune learned that Cardin intended to use the wasps that Jaune caught for him earlier that week to attack Pyrrha with for revenge after she embarrassed him in class a couple days ago. Cardin decided it would be best that Jaune splash Pyrrha with tree sap from the Forever Falls trees, which the wasps would find attractive. However, Jaune instead defied Cardin, choosing instead to douse him in the tree sap instead. Cardin responded by beating Jaune up to teach him a lesson.

"Do whatever you want to me, but I won't let you hurt my friends!" Jane shot back after several good punches, spitting in Cardin's face. Cardin growled and punched him again, but this time, as his fist connected to Jaune's face, there was a sudden burst of white light, and Jaune found himself on the ground unharmed and Cardin clutching his first; Jaune noticed that his entire body was glowing white with his Aura, and glowing through his right glove was the strange tattoo, though it faded away a moment later.

Jaune nor any of Team CRDL had time to ponder what had happened when a loud roar echoed near them; nearby an Ursa Major appeared from the woods, easily towering at least two times over the boys and sniffing the air. Team CRDL realized that the Ursa was drawn to the sweet tree sap splashed on Cardin's armor. Cardin and Jaune were frozen in place, but the other members of Team CRDL turned tail and ran, screaming "Ursa!" for everyone to hear. Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Senna went running to assist Jaune and Cardin while a few others went to alert Professor Goodwitch who was supervising them for the lesson. Reaching the edge of the clearing where Jaune and Cardin were, the girls could see the Ursa Major standing over Cardin, who was lying on the ground with his weapon lying too far from him. Jaune was unharmed and a safe distance away.

"That's an Ursa Major, Stage 5 at least!" Senna exclaimed in awe. According to Grimm Monster Manuals, Grimm earn the title of "Major" upon growing to Stage Five, which is when they grow much larger in size, as well as their armor growing much thicker and larger, and proving to be more dangerous than a Stage Four Grimm.

Jaune debated running away given that the Ursa Major was focused on Cardin, but his feet would not obey his mind. All Jaune could think about was Cardin being killed by the Ursa Major, and before he realized it, he had drawn Crocea Mors and rushed between Cardin and the Ursa Major, deflecting a claw swipe with his shield. Cardin may be a jerk, but he doesn't deserve to die, not like this! Jaune told himself as he shield bashed the Ursa Major, knocking it backwards a little. "Cardin, get up and back away!" he ordered, which Cardin obeyed, scrambling to his feet and running.

Weiss drew Myrtenaster and Senna drew Nobilis, but Pyrrha held her hands up to them both. "Let's just wait and watch what happens," she told them, keeping her gaze on Jaune.

Jaune and the Ursa Major circled around each other slowly, both looking for an opportunity to strike. Jaune suddenly dashed forward, letting out a battlecry with his sword raised, and the Ursa Major sideswiped him, but Jaune leapt over it and slashed at its belly, making it roar aloud. The Ursa Major retaliated with an overhead strike, but Jaune rolled to its side, rising up and slicing in an uppercut, cutting across the Ursa Major's side. The Ursa Major lashed out, slamming its paw into Jaune and sending him sprawling across the ground, but he quickly rolled onto his feet and readied himself. The Ursa Major let out a roar and charged forward, and Jaune did the same, gripping his sword and shield tightly as he readied them. As both drew near, the Ursa Major swung its claws at Jaune, intend to skewer him, while Jaune swung his sword towards its belly, but let his shield falter, opening his defenses. Pyrrha noticed this and raised a hand glowing in her black Aura, and Jaune's shield suddenly glowed black and raised itself up, where it deflected the Ursa Major's attack, making it lose its balance. Jaune took this chance and struck the Ursa Major's belly repeatedly, screaming with each swing before plunging his sword into its chest, making it howl in pain. As Jaune drew his sword out, the Ursa Major made one final, desperate move and slashed at Jaune with its claws, striking his chest, bouncing off his chestplate, shredding clothes, and drawing blood. Jaune screamed in pain, and Pyrrha left their hiding spot to run to him. Jaune suddenly leapt forward and slashed at the Ursa Major's chest again, then spun around and swung his sword upward with a yell, decapitating the Ursa Major and killing it instantly. The creature fell to the ground dead, and Jaune swung his sword at its corpse with a victorious yell before sheathing his sword at his hip.

"JAUNE!" Pyrrha cried as she and the others reached him, where he collapsed into her arms. "He's hurt," she told the girls. Cardin came over with a shocked look, bewildered that Jaune killed the Ursa Major on his own.

Senna shared the amazement as well. "A Class B Grimm defeated single-handedly is quite a feat, especially for a Huntsman-in-training," she noted as she watched the Grimm's corpse disintegrate into dust.

"Cardin…" Jaune wheezed. He hoisted himself up in Pyrrha's arms to get a better look at the teen. "…Never mess…with my team…ever again," he ordered, giving him a stern glare. Cardin bowed his head and looked away. "And you should rethink…your attitude towards everyone…or else next time, you won't have anyone to watch your back, or worse…leave you to die just to get rid of you." Cardin looked away, ashamed of himself.

Professor Goodwitch appeared with the remaining students alongside her. She got a quick recap of what had happened and inspected Jaune's wounds. She deemed them non-serious, but had him escorted to Beacon's infirmary to be patched up.

Jaune spent about an hour in the infirmary having his cuts doused in alcohol and patched up with bandages by a kindly nurse. "Now, these should heal within a day or so, especially with your Aura unconsciously healing them, but you should avoid doing any serious fighting or extracurricular activities until you heal up." She had him stay for a while longer to check his vitals, and during that time, Ozpin came to visit.

"Hello, Mr. Arc, I heard of your little battle with an Ursa Major in the Forever Falls forest today," Ozpin remarked with a smirk and a sip from his coffee. "I was also a little curious as to why you and Mr. Winchester were spending so much time together, and I learned from him after I questioned him enough times that he was blackmailing you with information regarding fake transcripts that you seemed to have used to sneak into my school."

Jaune swallowed hard, and he knew there was nothing he could do to avoid the subject. "I'll pack up my things and leave tomorrow," he mumbled under his breath.

"Care to repeat that?" Ozpin asked. Jaune repeated it again, now more clearly. "Why would you want to do such a thing, Jaune? You have a team to lead and to care for."

"Pyrrha can take over in my place. She's more suited to being a leader than I anyway."

"Jaune, being a team leader is not about being stronger or smarter than everyone, and it never is." Jaune stared at the headmaster curiously. "Jaune, I know your transcripts were fake, I've always known, but do you know why I allowed you into my school anyway?" Jaune shook his head, unable to figure out an answer, yet he was shocked that Ozpin knew about his forged transcripts.

Ozpin pulled out his Scroll and opened up a video file, which he turned to Jaune to show him; it was a video of Team JNPR's fight against the Death Stalker on the ruined temple's bridge. Jaune watched as Nora pelted the giant scorpion Grimm with grenades, him deflecting pincher strikes followed by Pyrrha striking at the monster's face. "We have flying drones that record all the footage of initiation for me to review and decide the order of teams," he explained. "Watch this part here." Ozpin tapped on the screen, where a long slider bar along the bottom appeared, which he grabbed with a finger and dragged it to the right, speeding up the video. Jaune watched as he ordered Ren to climb onto the Death Stalker and shoot at its stinger before being tossed off, followed by him ordering Pyrrha using only her name and pointing with his sword, to which she flung her shield and severed the stinger, which fell into the Death Stalker's head. "See that? You quickly deduced that the Death Stalker's stinger is its primary attack, and that severing it would give you four an advantage, as well as damage the Grimm if done properly, and you did all this under pressure with yourself cornered against a broken bridge."

"But Pyrrha could've done the exact same thing…" Jaune began to argue until Ozpin silenced him.

"No, you are wrong there, Mr. Arc. Pyrrha Nikos specializes in one-on-one combat, and has never been involved in team battles before up until initiation. Having her as leader would have jeopardized all four of your lives, probably owing to her attempting to defeat the Grimm on her own, which would be brave of her, but could result in her being seriously injured." Jaune stared down at the floor for a moment. "Jaune, you understand now why I assigned you as leader? I didn't do it because you are strong or fast, or have a fancy weapon, I did it because you are a natural-born strategist. You can formulate an attack plan quickly and while under pressure, and are able to communicate with allies you have barely associated yourself with, yet follow your orders without complaint. Now that is a skill that only leaders possess."

Jaune gave a confident smirk. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"One last thing, while you're smart and quick on the battlefield, you could stand to improve upon your combat skills. However, I would recommend that you spend less time doing it with training bots and instead pursue it with Ms. Nikos," Ozpin suggested. "Even the most advanced technology cannot replace the teachings that come from a human instructor, especially from a star athlete such as Ms. Nikos. And Jaune, do not be ashamed about needing training from Pyrrha; that's why you're here at Beacon anyway: to learn and improve upon your skills." Jaune nodded and Ozpin turned and left the infirmary.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

That night, Jaune and Pyrrha met on the balcony again. "So, what happened to Cardin? I thought you two were best buds?" she asked.

Jaune grinned. "We're not anymore. He said he had more important things to do. He went to Velvet Scarletina and personally apologized to her and her teammates about his rude behavior towards her last week. From what I hear, Velvet forgave him, though Coco gave him a good slap first." The two of them laughed a little. "So, Pyrrha, about what I said last week, about wanting to get better on my own…it was the wrong thing to say. If you're okay with it, will you train me to become a better fighter?"

Pyrrha smirked and gave him a hard shove, making him fall to the floor. "Your stance is all wrong. You need to plant your feet firmly on the ground and be lower to the ground so you cannot be pushed around so easily," she smirked. She lifted him back up. "Good, now, let's try again."

When Pyrrha lifted Jaune up, she noticed the spear and shield tattoo upon his right hand, how it had a similarity to the emblem of Aziela, Goddess of Victory. She was curious about it, but chose to ignore it for now and focus on instructing Jaune to form a proper combat stance suited for his weapon of choice.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **September 16th 1580**

A week passes by, and students from the neighboring Kingdoms of Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo begin to arrive in Vale for the upcoming Vytal Festival. After getting themselves organized at Beacon where they would be staying, the exchange students occupied themselves by greeting fellow Beacon students and others, making new friends in the process, or visiting the city of Vale. Ozpin sent Team JNPR on a mission for that weekend, so Team RWBY and LOST were left alone at Beacon.

Lucas of Team LOST decided that the four will go see a movie and enjoy their day off, given that classes were cancelled for the arriving neighboring students. As they were leaving their dorm room, they spotted a Beacon professor escorting a few teams from Haven Academy of Mistral to the dorms they would be staying in. Olivia spotted a girl with light green hair and green eyes wearing a lavender hoodie walking among them, and without a word, she broke from her team and went back into their dorm room. "Hey, Lucas, that blonde one there would look good with you," Tristan teased him, motioning to a platinum blonde girl with dark skin and golden eyes. The girl noticed Lucas and Tristan staring at her and flashed them a smile as they passed. "Hey, you should ask her out to the Vytal Festival and then use your Divining Rod to lead yourself into her Oasis if you play your cards right!" Tristan winked with a snort, to which Senna gave him a slap upside the head. The group of students passed them, and after they disappeared down the hall, Olivia returned from their room, now sporting a Colt 1911 on her right hip.

"S-So sorry, I f-forgot to grab a-a gun!" she hastily stuttered with a grin, grabbing her teammates and shoving them down the hall towards the entrance. The members of Team LOST tried questioning Olivia why she went back to their dorm, why she seemed nervous, as well as why she needed a gun in the city, but she constantly changed the subject to avoid answering, and before her teammates could get an answer from her, they had already reached the movie theater.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"Remind me why we're spending our Friday at the stupid docks?" Yang annoyingly asked Weiss as Team RWBY overlooked the piers moored with sea ships from Vacuo.

"Ugh, they smell like fish…" Ruby whined, plugging her nose in disgust.

"I've heard that students from Vacuo would be arriving by ship today, and as a representative of Beacon, I feel it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine Kingdom," Weiss proudly explained. Vacuo, despite being situated in the scorching deserts of the west, relies heavily on fishing as their primary economy, and the oceans surrounding the Kingdom's regions are overabundant with a range of fish, ranging from common types to exotic types never seen anywhere else, the latter of which fetch extremely high prices in the other Kingdoms, and as such, Vacuo has invested more money into sea ships over airships over the years since the Great War.

"Whoa, check that out," said Ruby, pointing to a Dust shop fenced off with police tape. The team went over to check it out, where several people have gathered to look with a few police officers overlooking the situation. "What happened here?" Ruby asked one of the officers.

"Robbery last night, plain and simple," the officer told her before walking over to his partner. "It's odd that they took all the Dust, yet left the money. Who needs that much Dust?" he told his partner. Ruby was curious about the officer's comment, instantly drawing a comparison to Roman Torchwick's robbery that she foiled.

"Willing to bet it was the White Fang?" his partner asked, to which the first officer nodded. "Yeah, and I bet we don't get paid enough for this crap," groaned the first officer.

"I should've known the White Fang was behind this, those degenerates," Weiss huffed.

"What's your problem?" Blake hissed.

"I simply don't care for the criminally insane."

"The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths; they're just misguided Faunus."

"Misguided? They want to wipe humanity off the face of the planet!" Weiss burst out.

"So they're very misguided then," Blake added before turning to look at the Dust shop. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."

"Blake does have a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into back before school started, so maybe it could've been him instead," Ruby theorized.

"That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are scum! Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal!" Weiss declared.

"That's not necessarily true, Weiss," Yang chided. "I mean, Velvet is the sweetest girl we know, and she's a Faunus, and Tristan is a nice guy once you get to know him."

"That rapscallion of a wolf is bad news for anyone, especially his team!" Weiss exclaimed. "I once caught him taking an underskirt photo of me at lunch, and he constantly makes obscene sexual gestures at me and the other girls in this school!"

"Well, okay, Tristan has some…problems, but I've spoken to him before, and he can be a really nice guy," Ruby argued, defending her friend. "I mean, he has a little sister that's a Human that his family adopted off the streets, and from what I can infer, he loves her a great deal. That says a lot about who he is, deep down."

"Hey, stop that Faunus!" shouted someone from the docks. Team RWBY rushed over to the source and saw two men aboard a Vacuo ship chasing after a blond-haired Monkey Faunus with a backpack on him. He leapt over the starboard side with a "Thanks for the ride, fellas!" and ran down the pier before stopping at a lamppost and began eating a banana from his pocket. "You no-good stowaway!" spat one of the deckhands.

"Oh, c'mon, a no-good stowaway would've gotten caught. I didn't, which makes me a great stowaway," the Faunus retorted with a laugh. Two police officers approached him, but he simply threw his banana peel into one of their faces, temporary blinding him, then ducked under the other and sprinted up the steps. He went past Team RWBY, and, unbeknownst to the others, he gave Blake a passing wink, making her stare wide-eyed for a brief second before he zoomed past.

"Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition, and there it goes," Yang giggled.

"Quick, we have to observe him!" Weiss yelled, soon giving chase with her teammates following behind her. The team of girls kept close to the Faunus boy and the officers, following them down a couple streets, but as Weiss turned around a corner, she ran smack into someone, both of them falling to the ground. The rest of RWBY stopped to observe what had happened, but by then, the Monkey Faunus had already alluded the police officers and disappeared. "He got away!" Weiss moaned.

Weiss looked down at the person she ran into, a ginger-haired teenage girl with bight green eyes. The girl gave Weiss a creepy grin, making the heiress to spring to her feet. "Salutations!" the girl cheerfully proclaimed, though she remained on the ground.

"Um, hello," said Ruby.

"Are you okay?" Yang asked.

"I'm wonderful! Thank you for asking!" said the ginger girl.

"Do you…want to get up?" Yang asked.

The girl was silent for a moment, then…"Yes!" and she sprang to her feet, though Team RWBY took a step back away from her. "My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Team RWBY each introduced themselves. With how short their conversation was, Team RWBY could deduce that Penny was a strange person, and they quickly formed an excuse to leave her be. "Seeya later, friend!" Ruby told Penny as they walked off.

"She's an odd one, alright," Yang noted as they headed down the street.

"Now where did that Faunus riffraff run off to?" Weiss wondered, unaware that Penny suddenly appeared before them.

"What did you call me?" Penny inquired. Weiss was bewildered at how quickly Penny moved, dumbfounded even.

"Oh, I didn't think you'd hear me!" Yang quickly shot out apologetically.

"No, not you, I meant her," Penny answered, going up to Ruby. "You! You called me 'friend!' Am I really your friend?!" Ruby looked to her team for support, and they were all waving her to answer "no."

"Um, yeah, sure! Why not?" Ruby answered.

"Sensational!" Penny cheered before suddenly rabbling off on all the activities her and Ruby could do together. Weiss managed to stop her rabbling to question her about the Monkey Faunus, calling him a "filthy Faunus," though Penny did not know who he was.

"Why do you keep calling him such things?" Blake shot at Weiss. "He's not a degenerate, a rapscallion, or anything like that! He's a person!" Weiss shot argument after argument back at Blake, from referring to trash cans more than that, or arguing that he will eventually join the White Fang and commit worse crimes than stowaways and evading police. "You're such an ignorant brat!" Blake growled.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Do you know who I am!?" Weiss piped up.

"Yes, you are a judgmental, spoiled little brat, that's who you are." Weiss gave a gasp and jabbed her finger at Blake.

"How dare you!?"

"How dare I!? You're the one who's sorting that Faunus boy with the terrorist group solely based on his species makes you just as much of a scoundrel as you believe him to be."

"Ah-ha! So you admit it; the White Fang is just a radical group of terrorists!" Weiss shot back gleefully.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!"

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

This continued all the way back to Beacon as night drew over the sky. In the halls, Ruby and Yang kept on either sides of Weiss and Blake to keep an eye on them to ensure they did not tear each other apart in their arguments. As they were heading back to their dorm room, they passed by Tristan Cortes, who was with Kovaltio Kyrstallo from Beacon. "Hello, girls, how was your trip into Vale?" Tristan politely asked. Weiss responded with a kick to his crotch, making him keel over. Clearly, she was in no mood to speak to rapscallions like Tristan either. Kovaltio could only crouch over Tristan with his hands hovering over him, unsure of how to help from the sudden attack as the Faunus teen squirmed on the floor in agony.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Back in their dorm room, Weiss and Blake resumed their arguing, and both of them were reaching their breaking points. "You do realize that you're defending an organization that hates humanity, correct? The Faunus of the White Fang are pure evil!" Weiss told Blake.

"There's no such thing as 'pure evil!' Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, and people like 'you' that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures to earn their equality! All they want is their own Gods-given rights and be accepted among the public, and people like you instead treat them nothing more than animals!" Blake burst out.

"What do you mean by 'people like me'?" Weiss retorted.

"You're discriminatory!"

"I'm a victim!" Weiss shot at her. Weiss strolled over to the window and stared out at the night sky of Vale. "Ever since I was young, the White Fang has been at war with my family and our company for many years; and I mean war, as in actual bloodshed. My grandfather's company has been a target of the White Fang for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a child, I have seen family members disappear without a trace, board executives executed by Faunus, an entire train car full of Dust stolen…" Blake swallowed hard, as she knew it was her and her partner Adam who highjacked that very train car less than a year ago. "…and every day, my father would come home furious, and that made for a difficult childhood." Weiss turned back to Blake, hatred burning in her eyes. "You see now why I hate the White Fang so much? They're nothing but liars, thieves, and murderers!"

"Well, maybe we were tired of being treated like animals!" Blake shot at her, making Weiss shrink back. Everyone stared in shock at her, and Blake quickly realized her mistake. She bit her lip, and, without saying a word, dashed from their dorm and disappeared, with Ruby crying out after her to return.

Outside, Blake ran from Beacon out into the deserted courtyard, where she stopped in front of the courtyard monument bearing two warriors towering over a defeated Grimm. One statue was a man clad in armor holding a sword into the air and a shield at his side. The other was a hooded woman with a battle-ax at the her side. The Grimm below them appeared defeated, its mouth agape in horror. There was a plague at the foot of the statue, but the inscription upon it had worn out ages ago. This is what humanity thinks we are: monsters, Blake thought, tears forming in her eyes. She reached up and untied her bow, revealing a pair of black cat ears. Was Adam right all along? Is there no hope for Humans and Faunus to live in peace? She wiped at her eyes.

"I knew you'd look better without the bow," said a voice behind her. Turning around, Blake was met with the Monkey Faunus from the docks. "Name's Sun Wukong," he said, stretching out his hand.

Blake smiled and accepted his handshake. "Blake Belladonna."

"Judging by the fact that you're always wearing a bow, I guess your teammates don't know you're a Faunus?" Sun asked.

"They do now. I kinda…I kinda blew up at one of them and let it slip, and now I don't think I should go back to my dorm for a while, not at least until Weiss stops being so judgmental of Faunus…"

"Well, you can hang out with me and my team in our dorm until then, if you want," Sun suggested. "However, Scarlet will probably let it slip that you're sleeping with us, which will get out of hand."

"Perhaps I have a solution for you both," said a new voice nearby. Blake and Sun turned to see Kyler Carnaid standing beside the statue monument. "It seems you need a place to stay, Ms. Belladonna, and I have a solution for you, though I would advise against it."

"I would appreciate any help, sir," Blake told him. Kyler let out a sigh and went to her.

"I have a small apartment building located in downtown Vale on Congress Avenue, Room number 619. It's stocked well, so it can last you quite a while if need be." Kyler reached into his pocket and fished out a key attached to a keychain of a rose flower and was about to hand it to Blake, who reached for it, but he jerked it out of her reach. "Blake, please think this over. Your teammates love you, despite what Weiss may say about the Faunus, and if you just disappear on them like this, it will just worry them."

"I can't face them like this, not after I've been hiding who I really am to them for all this time," Blake answered.

Kyler gave her a frown, but handed her the key anyway. "Do you remember what I said before initiation? I told you all that no matter what happens to you, you need to keep moving forward. Always remember that, Blake. No matter what happens, you must always keep moving forward, or else you will find yourself consumed by the darkness of the past." Blake nodded, said her thanks, and she and Sun left for Vale.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

The remaining members of Team RWBY decided the previous night that Blake needed some space given what had happened, and that she would be back before morning, but when Ruby, the first to awake, found Blake's bed still empty, her worry grew. Ruby quickly organized a search for Blake with her team as well as Team LOST. Team RWBY went out patrolling the streets calling for Blake as well as showing a picture of her to random citizens, but nothing turned up. Team LOST went their own ways to search for Blake; Lucas searched through the slum district as well as any back alley bar or gathering place for thugs for info, which lead to him having to beat down a number of thugs. Olivia sped through Vale on her Fat Boy searching for Blake, but found nothing. Senna investigated all the bus and tram stations, asking the workers there if they saw Blake, but nothing. Tristan tried looking everywhere, but he came up with nothing.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

At a small rooftop cafe near their new apartment, Blake and Sun were enjoying some hot tea for a mid-afternoon snack. Blake recently revealed to Sun about how she was a member of the White Fang for most of her life, how the organization once served as a means of peace and unity between the two races following the Great War, how she was always at the front of their peaceful protests and rallies, and how she was there when their now-current leader, Adam Taurus, assumed leadership of the White Fang and switched their peaceful protests to violence, which caused a ripple in history and lead to respect towards the Faunus, but only out of fear.

"This Adam guy, he a friend of yours or something?" Sun asked when Blake finished her story.

Blake let out a sigh and sipped her tea. "Yes, he was my closest friend, actually. We grew up together, though he is about four years older than I, but we always looked out for one another, and we were very close…" Blake's cheeks blushed a little for a moment. "…I…I was in love with him too…" This added comment made Sun cough into his drink. "…However, when I was thirteen, Adam…he…changed…I don't know how else to describe it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I believe it began when he returned from a protest, and the area around his eyes was covered in horrible gashes, as if someone cut him. The cuts eventually healed over, but left horrible scars upon his face. Adam began wearing one of those Grimm-like masks that the White Fang often wear nowadays, and he grew bitter towards humanity even more. He stopped coming with me to protests, claiming he wanted to be alone…A few weeks later, that's when our leader was murdered."

"Wait, 'murdered?' I always thought the old leader stepped down from his position?" Sun questioned.

"That's what people would want you to believe, but really, he was murdered, and I saw the body; his body was covered in large gashes that were inflicted by some kind of blade. Adam soon rose up as our new leader, and he was quick to change our tactics into violent ones. He started off his new revolution by slaughtering a small village of humans, sparing no one. I did not go, as Adam forbade me." Blake took a deep breath, another sip, and dabbed at her eyes.

"Take your time, Blake," Sun assured her with a smile. She returned it back.

"Something happened to Adam in those few weeks; for one thing, following the first week, he got some kind of tattoo on his right shoulder that looked like a heart composed of two high heel shoes facing each other, and a katana with a blade made of some kind of red steel. I have a feeling that it was he who murdered our leader."

"Geez, this guy sounds really messed up!" Sun concluded. He noticed the sad look on Blake's face and apologized.

"Yesterday, I argued to Weiss that the White Fang was just misguided, and maybe I'm right; maybe they're being steered the wrong way because of Adam. Adam is not the person I grew up with anymore, and it took me nearly three years to figure that out. I ran away from Adam and the White Fang when I was almost sixteen, and I made my way to Vale, where I hoped to join Beacon and become a Huntress, hoping that if I work hard enough, I could show the Faunus in a different light through me, and that maybe Humans wouldn't be so awful to our race."

"Sounds pretty big for someone like you to accomplish," Sun noted with a grin.

"Well, no matter how challenging my goal is, I will do anything and everything to bring peace between Humans and Faunus, even if it costs me my life. And my first task on that is to stop these Dust shop robberies."

"I think I can help with that. While I was on that boat from Vacuo, I overheard a conversation about a huge Schnee Dust shipment being brought in sometime this weekend. So the logical thing to do would be to be there as whoever's behind these robberies would never pass up a shipment this big, and we can bust them, White Fang or not, and it would look good for the Faunus too."

"That sounds like a great idea, but I'm curious, why were you hiding on that boat anyway?"

"Well, I made a quick trip to Vacuo to visit family, is all, and instead of traveling with the Vacuo students, I thought it would be fun to smuggle myself to Vale," Sun explained with a serious grin.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

That night, Blake and Sun stationed themselves at the docks, watching as the last of the Schnee Dust shipments were unloaded and left for collection in the morning. After a while, a couple bullheads arrived and touched down, and a number of White Fang thugs filed out with weapons, with Roman Torchwick following behind them, barking orders to gather the shipments quickly. "This doesn't make any sense. Why would the White Fang be taking orders from a Human, especially one like him," Blake wondered aloud. She drew Gambol Shroud and headed down to the site, where she snuck up behind Roman and put her blade at his throat with the gun attachment facing towards the thugs. She undid her bow, revealing her Faunus ears. "Brothers of the White Fang, why are you aiding this scum?" she declared at the soldiers pointing their guns at her. "Our people have suffered too much, and what will working with criminals like this accomplish for us? Absolutely nothing!" A couple soldiers looked amongst each other, as if debating her words.

Roman chuckled. "Oh, if only you knew." Blake put her blade closer to his neck and demanded he explain. "See, the White Fang and I, as well as a few other powerful people, are starting a partnership," he revealed before he activated his cane and blew up the ground at Blake's feet.

The explosion was heard a few miles away in all directions. Ruby, accompanied by Penny, heard the explosion and made their way for source. Lucas and Tristan, who were nearby, heard it as well as made their way towards the docks while calling Olivia and Senna to alert them, who raced there as fast as they could.

Back at the docks, Sun joined alongside Blake to fight Roman and his thugs. Sun dashed forward and activated his weapon's staff form, which he used to take down a few WF thugs. Blake charged at Roman and sliced at him, but he blocked all her attacks and blasted her, knocking her backwards. "HEY!" shouted Ruby from atop a nearby building, Crescent Rose deployed at her side.

"Well, hello, Red, isn't it past your bedtime?" Roman teased. Penny, standing behind Ruby, asked what was going on, which distracted Ruby, allowing Roman to blast her off with a shot from his cane before he turned his attention back to Blake and Sun. Penny stepped forward to take Ruby's place.

"Penny, get back! It's too dangerous!" Ruby warned her.

"Don't worry, Ruby, I'm combat ready!" Penny assured her. Upon her back, a small mechanical pack opened and a series of blades emerged from it, appearing as though floating in midair. Penny leapt down onto the ground and began attacking the WF thugs.

Team LOST soon appeared on the other side of the docks facing behind where Roman and his thugs were situated. Lucas ordered Tristan to sneak around from the right side while he and Senna went from the left to flank them, and Olivia opted herself to attack from a distance. They set off, and Olivia climbed up onto a shipment container and drew Eclipse. With the zoom feature on her goggles, she could see Lucas hiding behind another shipment container and give her the go ahead to attack. She opened fired on the WF thugs, taking out two of them before the rest dove for cover. Roman, Sun, and Blake were fighting amongst each other and did not notice the sudden change in battle. Lucas and Senna attacked some nearby WF thugs while Tristan maintained a safe distance by moving from cover to cover while shooting down thugs with his arrows. Two bullheads soon touched down and more thugs emerged from them. "I got this one," Olivia spoke into her earpiece and drew her M319N grenade launcher and fired a shot at one cluster of thugs, sending them tumbling. She quickly reloaded around grenade shell and fired it onto the others, who went down as well.

"Nice job, Olivia," Lucas complimented into his Scroll's earpiece. The team regrouped together just as three large bullheads flew through the sky towards them. "I don't suppose you might have something that can shoot down those bullheads?" he added with a negative response in return. Nearby, Penny encircled her blades around herself and a bright green light charged up within them, resulting in a large, powerful laser beam to burst from them, easily skewering through the bullheads and causing them to crash into the waters off shore. Roman, still fighting Blake and Sun, recognized that things were not going well for him, so he shot down a shipment container to block the Faunus Huntsmen from him and retreated into his bullhead and made his escape.

Most of the White Fang thugs have either been killed or knocked unconscious during the battle, but a couple survived and attempted to escape until Blake and Sun captured them and dragged them over to the others. "We should interrogate them and try to figure out why they're stealing so much Dust," Blake told everyone. Weiss and Yang soon arrived onto the scene with a number of police cars behind them, their sirens and lights blaring.

"Well, you're late to the party," Tristan joked.

Yang and Lucas both offered to do the interrogations before the police could get ahold of the thugs. Yang went the easy route and crushed one thug's genitals in her fist while questioning him, but the pain made him faint instead. Lucas was a bit more direct, having Olivia hold the thug up while he smashed his fists into his stomach while demanding answers, but the thug was resilient and refused to talk, and by the time he was reaching his breaking point, the police came and took the thugs into custody. "Now we won't know why the White Fang have been stealing Dust," complained Blake. Weiss went up to Blake, giving her a stern look, and Blake understood why. "Weiss, I want you to know that I am no longer affiliated with the White Fang and I…"

"Do you know how long you've been away?" the heiress interrupted her. "Two days. And in those two days, I had a lot of time to think about everything, and I've decided…I don't care. If you say you're not affiliated with the White Fang anymore, then I guess you're not. However, I must advise next time you have a personal problem, you come to us, your teammates, and not…" She glanced over at Sun, who gave her a nervous smile. "…Not someone else, okay?" Blake shield and nodded, and Weiss smiled back. "However, I still don't know how I feel about you!" she snapped at Sun with a jabbing finger, to which he nervously chuckled.

"Team RWBY is back together!" Ruby squealed, prompting her teammates to close in for a hug.

"We should hug too!" Olivia suggested, slinging an arm around Senna and pulling her close, despite her displeasure of it. Tristan attempted the same with Lucas, who gave him a mean glare, but then relented, giving a half-fast, one arm hug to the Faunus. However, amongst the celebration, no one noticed that Penny had disappeared, for a black car appeared among the police cruisers, and a young man in a black suit whisked her way. She stared out the window at her friend, Ruby, who was still overjoyed that her team had reunited. "You know better than to wander off by yourself. Your father was extremely worried about you," said the young man in the driver's seat.

"I understand, sir," Penny muttered before apologizing, still staring out the window even as the car drove off. The driver noticed this in the rear view mirror.

"Your time will come soon enough, Penny, I know it will," he assured her as they disappeared down the nighttime street.

At that exact moment, up in his office in Beacon's highest tower, Ozpin received a message from Ruby's uncle Qrow on his Scroll, reading: "Queen has pawns." Ozpin hummed to himself as he stared outside the tall windows at the shattered moon orbiting the night sky. "So, the time is coming sooner than we thought…" Ozpin said to himself, with only the soothing turning of the cogs in the tower accompanying him. He dialed Qrow's Scroll, but it quickly went dead. He tried again, but it was still dead. "Oh dear…"

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Teams RWBY, LOST, and Sun were taken to the police station to be questioned as to why they were at the docks when the White Fang were there, and each of them explained that they were there under the suspicion that the White Fang would attempt to steal a shipment from the Schnee Dust Company, though they chose to leave out the details of Blake being a former White Fang member or that Teams RWBY and LOST were there because they heard the explosions. Ozpin soon came to all of their aid and had them escorted back to Beacon, telling the lieutenant overseeing them that he should be happy enough that his students sabotaged the White Fang's plans and bid him good night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

After Ozpin had the teams interviewed as to what happened at the docks and then sent them back to their dorms, he went searching for Kyler, whom he found sitting on a bench on one of the many balconies of Beacon with a book in his hand, though he was not reading it. He was staring up at the shattered moon, and a song was leaving his lips:

 _"Dry your eyes now, baby;_

 _Broken wings won't hold you down._

 _You'll take flight soon, baby._

 _You'll be lifted up,_

 _And you'll be there_

 _"Twelve hours,_

 _Is a long night._

 _When you're searching,_

 _With no hope in sight…"_

"Kyler…" Ozpin interrupted, making Kyler pause his song. "…Kyler, I need you to go to Mistral and search for Qrow. I fear he may have been compromised."

"Compromised? How can that be?" Kyler inquired, rising to his feet.

"He's not answering his Scroll, and the last message I received from him was 'Queen has pawns'." Kyler froze in his tracks.

"Th-That cannot be!" he sputtered.

Ozpin nodded. "I'm afraid so…this puts us in a difficult position…what do you believe we should do?"

Kyler rubbed his goatee and paced the balcony. "I do not know," he said after a minute. "I feel as though we should go ahead and start training the Paladins now and prepare them for what's to come, but I keep thinking about how this will affect them; to suddenly discover that everything they knew about the world and its history was a lie, and that they are destined to protect the world from the greatest evil of all time…it would destroy them, Ruby most of all, given her age."

"I understand. This sort of thing is something that no one should have to bear," Ozpin added.

Kyler clenched his fist tight and swung it down at his side in frustration. "…Ozpin, I believe you should make this decision. I…I just can't this time…"

Ozpin glanced up at the shattered moon, staring longly into its beautiful glow. "I believe we should wait a while longer; the Paladins of today are still children, and it is a role they won't have forever. I want them to enjoy the last of their youth before it is time for them to grow up and become adults and Huntsmen…the defenders of the world…we will begin training them once the Vytal Festival is over."

Kyler made a long "hum" sound and nodded his head. "The Vytal Festival…that seems best. They will be able to enjoy themselves while improving their combat skills in the tournament. A win-win situation, one can call it." Kyler walked past Ozpin towards the door. "I'm going to go pack for the journey to Mistral and head out tomorrow," he told him as he passed.

"That song you were singing…it was 'Wings,' was it not?" Kyler froze in his tracks, but he did not answer, though Ozpin knew the answer was "yes." "That was Summer's favorite song, if I recall correctly." Ozpin could tell that Kyler was nodding even without looking at him. "Kyler, you're not responsible for Summer's death, you know that? Do what you always tell everyone to tell and keep moving forward, understand? You told us those words long ago, and we are here because of them, remember?"

"That was a very long time ago, Ozpin, and those words lost meaning to me a since then," Kyler muttered before leaving the headmaster standing there, staring up at the moon.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Roman huddled over a map of Vale in an abandoned warehouse, grumbling to himself. Just then, the doors opened and a woman in a red minidress walked in with two people at her side: a dark-skinned girl with long green hair, and a teenage boy dressed in grey with matching hair. "Roman, this warehouse should be full of Dust. What happened?" the woman demanded.

"Well, some stupid kids decided to crash the party and beat up my men, that's what, especially that stupid red girl," he grumbled.

"Red girl? By chance is this that same red girl that ruined your robbery back in August?"

"Actually yes, yes it was. I swear, I'm gonna kill Little Red!"

"Roman, what sort of girl is this 'Little Red?' What stands out about her?" The woman asked with a curious smile.

"Well, if it isn't obvious enough, she dresses in red. She also carries a huge scythe for a weapon, and she has silver eyes," Roman answered.

"Silver eyes?" the woman raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, so? That supposed to be important?"

"No, not at all, or at least, not important to you." the woman waved her hand at her henchmen and they turned to leave.

"Hey, what about me? What am I supposed to do, just sit around, twiddling with my thumbs and rob small Dust stores?" Roman complained. The woman had her duo freeze and she turned back to Roman.

"Oh, Roman, we have big plans for you…" she purred, extending a hand out and a ball of fire ignited within it, illuminating her eyes, which glowed with the color of fire. "…Well, to be truthful, my Goddess has big plans for us both." Roman gave her a confused look, but she merely smiled, an evil smile at that. She exited the warehouse with her two henchmen and the three left the area in a car, which the teenage boy drove while the woman and girl sat in the back silent. Ozpin, Kyler, and Glynda are at Beacon, but so long as they are there, we cannot touch neither them nor the new generation of Paladins, the woman, Cinder Fall, thought to herself with an evil smile. However, we know that two of the new Paladins are at Beacon, training to become Huntresses. I must give you credit, Ozpin, I didn't think you would accept them into your school had they been simple Humans without destines, and yet, I suspect you would've anyway; you were always such a kind and caring man, but that will lead to your downfall, that I promise.

 **Next Chapter 3: Times Are Changing**


	3. Times Are Changing

A/N: Judith Draconem and Iroiki Asphodelos belongs to Daryo Ouellette.

 **Chapter 3: Times Are Changing**

 _The Paladins, having claimed victory in their battle against the Dark Paladin, turned and left Salem lying on the ground bleeding and unable to move. First, the Paladin of Iris, carrying the deceased body of the Paladin of Ashtul, exited the Dark Realm through the portal, and then only the Paladins of Oum and Sklor remained._

"Perhaps victory is in the simpler things you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul," the Paladin of Sklor told Salem before he exited through the portal.

 _The Paladin of Oum extended his hand upon the portal and a surge of red Draíochta burst from it and struck the portal, making it blink a rapid set of bright glows. "You will never ever leave this place," he warned Salem._

 _Salem grinned. "But my Goddess can, and her hand extends beyond all reach of both this realm and the Realm of Light," she barked. "Enjoy your peace while it lasts, for Sheena will begin to set things in motion one day."_

 _The Paladin of Oum gazed upon the fallen Salem for a moment, thinking over what she said. "You claimed there will be no victory in strength, but you forget that even in the darkest of times, when Mankind bands together, that is when we are at our strongest. You stood alone against us while we stood together against you, and we were victorious. Sheena can prepare her Paladins and her Grimm, and we will do the same, and when the time comes, we will be ready for her." The Paladin of Oum stepped through the portal, which closed behind him, trapping Salem forever within the Dark Realm of Remnant._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **October 2nd 1580**

 **The City of Vale**

Out in the streets of Vale, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black were casually walking down the streets among the civilians. "So, we know where out little rat is, we just gotta hope no one is at his store when we get there," Mercury noted to Emerald.

"Don't worry, this job should be easy," she told him. They soon found the store, _Tukson's Book Trade_ , and went inside, which was deserted, even at the front counter. Mercury strolled over to a bookshelf and started flipping through a book while Emerald went to the front counter and rang the counter bell. At once, Tucson came out carrying a large stack of books, which he set onto the counter before addressing his new customers.

"Welcome to _Tucson's Book Trade_ , home of every book under the sun. How may I help you?" he proclaimed with pride.

"Hi, do you have any copies of _The Thief and the Butcher_?" Emerald kindly asked. Tucson answered positively, which got Emerald excited, but she declined a copy when offered. "What about _Violet's Garden_ in paperback?"

"He's got it right here. Hardback too," Mercury told her from a bookshelf.

"Ooh, options are nice."

"Meh, no pictures. Do you have any comics?" called Mercury. Tucson directed him to a small comic stand near the front.

"What about _Third Crusade_?" Emerald then inquired.

"Um, I don't think we have that one. If I recall, I sold my last copy to someone yesterday," Tucson admitted.

"You know, for a bookstore that has 'every book under the sun,' you sure can't keep a promise, Tucson…" Emerald scolded, her voice turning sour as Mercury turned off the lights inside the store. "…Much like your promise to the White Fang." Everyone was silent for a moment. "You know who we are." It was not presented as a question, but as a statement.

"Yes," Tucson answered.

"You know why we are here." Another statement. Mercury joined his friend at the counter.

"Yes."

"So, you wanna fight?" This was a question, and one that Tucson was happy to answer.

"YES!" he leapt onto the counter with his claws drawn, forcing Emerald and Mercury to take a step back. He leapt at Emerald and swiped at her, but she simply ducked under his range and Mercury leapt forward and fired his leg guns into Tucson's face, sending him sprawling into a wall where he collapsed to the floor. Mercury strolled over and fired another shot directly into Tucson's face, making his body go limp instantly. The duo left the bookstore with a couple books tucked under their arms.

"So how long do you think it will take for someone to find his body?" Mercury whispered to his dark-skinned friend before he opened up the _X-Ray & Vav _comic he took.

"Probably a day or so, but the cops won't be able to track us, not with our fingerprints all over the books that countless other customers have touched. Plus, once they find his ticket to Vacuo and that he is involved with the White Fang, the police will simply shrug it off and ignore it," Emerald explained. She glanced at the comic. "Why do you read those?" she groaned, wishing he would read something more intellectual.

About an hour later, they regrouped with the White Fang at their hidden warehouse, where they met with Roman Torchwick. "Ah, look, she brought the kids along," he sarcastically proclaimed, throwing his hands around them and ruffling their hairs, which they quickly shrugged off. "Now, I would like to know where you two are, but I suppose _this_ will tell me." Roman held up a slip of paper detailing the address to _Tucson's Book Trade_ that he lifted from Emerald's pocket. She quickly protested at his sudden thievery. "Oh calm down, sweetheart," he chuckled. "I'm a professional. If you pay attention, you might learn something." He took a look at the address. "Now, what is this?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emerald remarked.

"Yeah, I would. So where have you two been all day?"

"We've been cleaning up your problems. One of them, at least," Mercury remarked.

"I had it under control," Roman snarled.

"Well, two packed bags and a ticket to Vacuo said otherwise," Mercury shot back.

"Listen, you little punk, if I wasn't under orders, I would take you and your little street rat friend here and I would—"

"Do what, Roman?" called Cinder from the second floor. The clinks of her glass heels echoed around the warehouse as she stepped onto the lift and lowered herself down to their level, staring at the three with her burning eyes.

"Um…I'd…uh…not kill them?" he stuttered. Emerald was happy to see Cinder, however, and went to embrace her in a hug, but the fiery woman merely ignored her and went to Roman.

"I thought I made it clear that I wanted you to eliminate the would-be runaway," spoke Cinder.

"Hey, I was going to do it!" Roman protested.

"He was going to escape to Vacuo, so Mercury and I took it upon ourselves to kill the rat!" Emerald declared.

"I think he was some kind of cat, actually," Mercury quickly noted.

"What, like a puma?" Mercury agreed to that.

"Did I not specifically instruct you two to keep your hands clean while we were in Vale?" Cinder dictated.

"I just thought…" Emerald started.

"Don't think. Obey," Cinder interrupted, then turned to Roman. "As for you, why was this job not done sooner?"

"Sorry if I've been busy stealing every speck of Dust within the kingdom!" he argued.

"You're an inspiration to every punk with a gun and a mask," Mercury sarcastically complimented.

"Shut up, kid. Thanks to me, this whole's town is running scared with police camping at corners, Dust prices through the roof, and we're sitting pretty on a mountain of Dust crystals, vials, and ammo rounds. Speaking of which, if you let me in on your grand-scheme plan, it might make my next string of robberies go a little smoother."

Cinder gave a chuckle and went to him, placing her hand upon his cheek. "Roman, have a little faith. You'll know what you need when you need to know." Her ember eyes stared deeply into his, but he merely scoffed at her. "Anyway, we're done with Dust. Have the White Fang clear out this warehouse, and I will send you more details and coordinates tonight." She took a quick glance and noticed his confusion. "We are proceeding to Phase 2 of our plans." Roman fished out a cigar and searched for his lighter until he heard the clicking of it from afar. Looking up, he saw Emerald with it, who stuck her tongue at him before heading off with Cinder and Mercury.

Cinder sent Emerald and Mercury to prepare the car while she took care of something in the main office. There, she found a teenage girl with pink and chocolate brown with white streaks sitting idly in the comfy chair with a pink umbrella at her side. When Cinder entered, she looked up at her with her pink and brown eyes, which switched sides with a blink. "Neo, we are leaving now, but I want you to stay with Roman for a while longer. Understand?" The girl, Neo, gave her a smiling nod. "Let me see your mark for a quick moment." With another nod, Neo stood up, where she slipped her pants down, revealing her pale skin and a black tattoo on her left leg, near her hip, facing forward. The tattoo was an exact replica of the one on Cinder's back, appearing like two high heel shoes placed together to form a heart shape. Cinder ran a couple fingers over the tattoo before drawing away, allowing Neo to lift her pants up. "It is truly wonderful to meet you again, Cuthachsling."

Neo placed her two pointer fingers upon her head and gave a puzzling look. "Oh, Adam Taurus?" Neo nodded. "Yes, well, it was an honor to meet the Murtsling as well, though we both have different goals." Cinder saw the next question in Neo's eyes. "I know of one other Dark Paladin, the Bhrathsling, but Sheena has not chosen an Àrsling as of yet. I suspect she is waiting until she finds the perfect person for the role." She gave Neo one last smile and exited the office to the car.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

At that present moment, Teams RWBY and JNPR had just finished having a rambunctious food fight among one another while Team LOST and Sun and Neptune of Team SSSN watched from the sidelines, though Neptune and Tristan were covered in food splotches. "See why I love these guys?" Sun chirped to his upset friend. At that moment, Glynda Goodwitch entered with a very dark look upon her face. A tray of food came flying towards her, but she quickly rebounded it with her crop and set to work using her telekinesis to rearrange the cafeteria back to its normal state, minus the absolute mess due to the food fight. "Children, do not play with your food!" she fumed, staring at the two teams, both covered in food splotches and particles. Despite her stern words, all eight teens burst into laughter. Glynda growled until Ozpin came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just let it go," he advised her.

"They're supposed to be the defenders of the world." she relaxed with a sigh.

Ozpin glanced over at the teens, who were still laughing and chatting with each other about the food fight. "They will be one day, but they're still children. Let them enjoy their youth now while they have it. It won't be a role they will have forever." Glynda gave him a concerned glance, sighed, then turned back to the teens. With a flick of her crop. a series of mop buckets and mops flew from the cafeteria closets and settled down before them.

"Now, since you children like to start food fights, destroy the cafeteria, and cause havoc among your fellow classmates, I feel it would be best that you eight clean up the cafeteria yourselves. I want it done by tonight before dinner," Glynda professed with a devilish smirk. She turned and left, passing by Team LOST, Sun, and Neptune.

It ended up taking the two teams several hours to spot clean the entire cafeteria, coupled with Nora often slacking off and getting nutty while Weiss complained nonstop about having to do "menial work that no Schnee should perform." However, they finished by three in the afternoon, so they went to the library to enjoy themselves. There, Team RWBY played _Remnant: The Game_ while Team JNPR did some studying, though Nora spent the entire time sleeping, Ren spent careful time reading up on the various environments of Mistral, and Jaune read a little _X-Ray & Vav _until Pyrrha took his comic and replaced it with a book entitled _Grimm Fighting Techniques_. "I thought you could make better use of it over your comic," Pyrrha remarked when he gave her a disappointed look. He still opened it and found a passage detailing various tips and tricks when fighting against Ursai.

While in the midst of their game, Team RWBY were greeted by Sun and Neptune, the latter of whom introduced himself to everyone, though Weiss grew most interested in him, much to Jaune's disapproval. However, Blake soon departed, claiming that she was done playing the game, which bewildered everyone. "Women, amiright?" Nora chimed in after Blake had left.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Blake spent the rest of the afternoon in her dorm room curled into a ball, thinking about what happened at the docks a couple weeks ago. Roman's words kept flickering through her mind, and all it told her was that the White Fang are up to something sinister, and Roman is playing a big part in it. After a while of sulking about, the rest of Team RWBY returned. "I told you we shouldn't have let him play!" went a disgruntled Yang.

"You're just upset Neptune beat you," Ruby teased. Blake got up and went for the door.

"Stop," Weiss ordered, making Blake freeze in her path. "Lately, you've been quiet, moody, and antisocial. And I get that that it is your thing, but Blake, you made a promise to me and to us that you would tell us if anything was wrong." Weiss suddenly jumped up upon a chair and jabbed her finger at Blake. "So, Blake Belladonna, what is wrong!?" She teetered on her chair for a moment before descending it and placing it back.

Blake took a deep sigh. "I just…I just cannot understand how everyone can be so calm…" she released.

"You're still thinking about Torchwick?" Ruby asked.

"Torchwick, the White Fang, all of it! Something big is about to happen and no one is doing anything about it!"

"Look, Ozpin told us not to worry. Between the Police and the Huntsmen, I'm sure they can handle it," Yang tried assuring her.

"But I'm not! They don't know the White Fang like I do!" Blake snapped.

"Look, between blowing up nightclubs, stopping thieves, and fighting for freedom, I'm sure the three of you think you're ready to apprehend these ne'er-do-wells, but let me remind you all that we're still students. We're not ready to handle this sort of situation," Weiss interjected, acting as the voice of reason of the team.

"Yeah, but what–" Ruby started.

"We're not ready!" Weiss repeated.

"And we may never be ready!" Blake shot out. "Our enemies won't just wait around until graduation day! They're out there somewhere planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming, whether we're ready or not!"

Ruby stepped forward. "Okay! All in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly bring down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale…say 'aye'!"

Everyone quickly agreed, and Ruby was set to create a plan of action, until she suddenly realized she left her _Remnant: The Game_ board game in the library, causing her to dash out into the hallway and smack into someone, who caught her before she could hit the floor. "Geez, Ruby, where are you off to in such a hurry?" asked Senna Raleigh of Team LOST.

"Sorry, Senna, I was just in a hurry." Ruby quickly apologized, then she noticed the three Haven students behind her. "Um, who are they?"

"Oh, they are a team from Haven Academy," Senna explained as the leader, a young woman with long black hair and eyes the color of fire stepped. "She is Cinder Fall, leader of Team…what is it again?"

"Team CMEN," Cinder corrected with a small grin.

"Yes, that's it, thank you."

"Name's Mercury," Mercury introduced, stepping forward. Beside him was Emerald, who also introduced herself.

"Yes, I was showing them to the room that they're staying at for the Vytal Festival, and I thought it would be a nice gesture to show them through the Beacon dorms so they could meet some of us," Senna explained. "Anyway, we must be off before it gets too late. Bye, Ruby." Senna went past Ruby, with Mercury and Emerald behind her, but Cinder stayed behind to talk to Ruby.

"You look rather young to be a Huntress-in-training at Beacon," Cinder noted.

"Well, I kinda got pushed ahead a couple years," Ruby admitted.

"Wow, Headmaster Ozpin must think highly of you then." Ruby looked up into Cinder's eyes, which looked like burning embers.

"Well, he seems to think so, but honestly, I think I'm pretty ordinary," Ruby insisted. Cinder smiled and went past her. "Oh, and welcome to Beacon!" Ruby called to her. Cinder let slip an evil grin, content that Ruby Rose did not suspect a thing about her.

 _Soon, we can properly begin Phase 2,_ Cinder thought to herself with a low chuckle.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

From his office, Ozpin and Glynda gazed upon the courtyard of Beacon and the looming city of Vale as the Atlesian military hovered in the sky. A number of airships landed and both human soldiers disembarked and began deploying around Beacon and setting up operations. "Ironwood sure likes to bring his work with him wherever he goes," Glynda grumbled.

"Well, being the Headmaster of Atlas Academy and a military general makes him a busy man, so I can understand why he's bringing his army, but I feel it may be a little unnecessary," Ozpin argued. At that moment, the elevator opened and General James Ironwood entered, dressed in his Atlesian military uniform as always. "James, it's been a long time."

"It's been, what, five years? It hasn't been that long, Ozpin." Ironwood told him, then turned to Glynda. "Glynda, my, you're still as beautiful as ever."

"Hello, James." she smiled. "I'll be elsewhere," she whispered to Ozpin, dropping her smile and walking out and down the elevator.

"Well, she hasn't changed a bit," Ironwood chuckled.

"James, what in the world brought you down from Atlas? Headmasters don't typically travel with their students." Ozpin poured two mugs of coffee, one of which he handed to Ironwood, who fished out a flask and tipped some alcohol into it.

"Well, coupled with how much I love Vale during the Autumn season, and with you hosting, I thought it would make for a good opportunity for the two of us to catch up. However, I do wish Grace and Pecado could've come so we could've had a proper reunion." Ozpin nodded in agreement.

Ozpin swung around to his desk to sit down. "I can understand the need for quality time between old friends, but the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."

"Well, concern is what brought them here," argued Ironwood.

"I understand that travel between the kingdoms has become increasingly difficult…"

"Oz…" Ironwood interrupted, silencing the aged headmaster. "…You and I both know why I brought those men."

Ozone took a sip from his mug and let out a heavy sigh. "We are in a time of peace, and showing off power like this will only give off the wrong impression."

"I can assure you that my soldiers will give off no wrong impression, but rather assure that everyone in Vale will be safe for the festival," Ironwood explained. He paced about for a moment while sipping his coffee.

"Even so, the Vytal Festival is meant for peace and unity between the four Kingdoms, and I don't want my people to become fearful of the Atlesian Military surrounding them," Ozpin warned.

"I promise that everyone will feel nothing but comfort from my army," Ironwood assured him, followed by a sip of his mug. "So…have we learned anything from Qrow since his communication silence?"

"Nothing yet. I sent Kyler to Mistral to look for him," Ozpin answered.

"Kyler?" Ironwood asked, almost baffled. "I thought those two hated each other? Why would Kyler…Oh…yes. Summer…" Ozpin nodded. "…Does Kyler still blame himself?" Another nod. "I understand his pain. I have been to blame for the deaths of many of my soldiers in the past…"

"Summer was different. You know what kind of person she was, and how much she meant to both Kyler and Qrow."

"Yes, yes, I know." Ironwood strolled over to the giant window and stared out onto the courtyard where his ships were docked. "Ozpin, I know you and the others may not have entirely agreed with my decisions in the past, and I know I have made a number of improper decisions before, but I promise you that I brought this army here just to be cautious."

"As am I, which is why I will continue training the best Huntsmen and Huntresses that I can, as well as the Paladins of Light." That last bit shocked Ironwood.

"The Paladins? They are here?"

"Yes, but only one has emerged as a Paladin. The other four are still dormant."

"So, the Gods have chosen their five, yet they haven't anointed them yet?" A nod from Ozpin. Ironwood laid his mug onto the desk and headed for the elevator. "Well, until the Paladins of Light and the Guardians of Remnant rise again, I will do what I must to ensure that everyone will be safe for the Vytal Festival. And let me ask you this: Do you honestly believe that these children—these Huntsmen and Huntresses of yours—can win a war?"

"I hope that they never have to…I pray every day that they never have to see war with their own eyes…" Ironwood gave Ozpin a silent stare and took his leave.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In their dorm room, Team RWBY was dressing themselves in new outfits for the new mission. Ruby wore her Slayer uniform, Weiss wore her Snowpea dress, Blake put on her Intruder clothes, and Yang wore her Hunter outfit. "Okay, today's the day the investigation begins!" Ruby cheered, leaping off her bed in excitement.

"I'm glad you're taking this so seriously," Weiss sarcastically moaned.

"Hey, we gotta plan. That's…moderately seriously," Yang noted.

"Does everyone remember their jobs on this?" Ruby asked everyone.

"You and I will head to the CCT to check the Schnee records for any Dust robberies or inconsistencies. And seeing as I'm in the family, it shouldn't be a problem," Weiss dictated.

"The White Fang has regular faction meetings to distribute orders and recruit new members," Blake explained. "If I can get in, I can hopefully find out what they're planning."

"I have a friend on the shady side of town that typically knows everything going on in Vale. If the White Fang have been planning anything, he's bound to have heard it," Yang explained.

"Okay, we will meet back here tonight to share what we have found." Ruby concluded.

"Yeah!" called a voice from outside the window. Everyone turned to see Sun hanging upside by his tail. He swung his way inside and stood up. "So, you girls are gonna go after that Torchwick guy, huh?" Sun went to the window, where Neptune was perched outside. "You can come in, dude." Neptune shuffled inside, where he breathed a sigh of relief.

"We are investigating. As a team," Blake told him.

"Well, we can help out." Neptune offered.

There was a knock at the door, and when Ruby answered it, she found Lucas Dias standing at the door in his combat gear. "I've been listening in and heard what you girls are planning to do," Lucas told Ruby as he swirled a glass cup in his hand. "I want to help."

"What about the rest of your team?" Weiss asked.

"Olivia is around Beacon doing something, Senna had some errands to do, and Tristan went off to find a date for the upcoming dance," he explained.

"Well, we'd rather not get any friends involved if we don't have to," Ruby gently told them.

"Pft, that's dumb. You should always get friends involved; that's why I brought Neptune in on this," Sun laughed.

"And besides, my team and I are already stuck in this with you guys ever since the night at the docks," Lucas reminded her. Ruby let out a sigh and let him in.

"Okay, so Weiss and I will go together, as planned. Blake, you and Sun go together, and Yang, you can take Neptune with you," Ruby told everyone before pushing a rigid Neptune over to Yang's side. "And Lucas…well, you're not a Faunus, and Yang only has room on her motorcycle for two, so I guess you'll have to come with Weiss and I."

"No need. I will snoop around downtown Vale and the slums for word from the Vale gangs. If anyone is passing around gossip about the White Fang, the gangs and thugs would definitely hear them," Lucas told everyone.

"Actually, Ruby, why don't you go with Yang instead? After all, she is your sister," Weiss suggested.

"But who would go with you, Weiss?"

"Why not Neptune?" Neptune gave her a grin and a thumbs up in agreement, but Ruby merely laughed, where she then dragged Weiss off to go on their job, despite Weiss' protests. Lucas took a bus to the slums to start his search while Yang and Neptune went off for the same place on her motorcycle. Blake and Sun went off to downtown Vale, where they went in search for fellow Faunus to learn of any possible White Fang meetings.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Cross Continental Transmit System, Vale**

Ruby and Weiss strolled down the sidewalk leading to the CCT building, which towered into the sky and was viewable for miles around. "Wow, I've forgotten how big the tower is up close!" Ruby squealed.

"The one in Atlas is much bigger, mind you," Weiss noted.

"That was the first one, right?"

"Correct. The Cross Continental Transmit System was a gift from Atlas following the end of the Great War to allow the four kingdoms to communicate with each other and establish a closer relationship with one another," Weiss read off.

"Oh, look at me, I'm Weiss. I know facts. I'm rich," Ruby teased her with a giggle, to which Weiss gave her a scowl.

"Don't be such a pest. Besides, we're only here because you like the tower so much. We've could've simply have made a phone call to gather what information we needed."

"Oh, I should take a picture!" Ruby hastily fished out her Scroll only to drop it instead, where it was picked up by Penny, who was nearby. "Penny!? What are you doing here? We haven't seen you since the night at the docks!"

"Um, I think you are confused," Penny stuttered, followed by a hiccup that sent the Scroll flying back into Ruby's hands. "Um, I have to go!" Penny turned and ran.

"You go make your call! I'll meet up with you later!" Ruby told Weiss as she dashed after Penny before Weiss could protest. With a groan, Weiss went inside the CCTS, where she headed up to the top floor where the communication computers were.

Outside, Ruby caught up with Penny on the stairs. "Penny, where have you been? It's been weeks. Is everything okay?" Penny attempted to leave, but Ruby stopped her. "Penny, please stop! Look, you gotta listen to me. Those guys we fought at the docks…we think they're up to something big, something bad! I need you to tell me what happened to you that night. Please tell me, as your friend."

Penny took a quick glance around to ensure no one was watching them, then crept close to Ruby's ear. "It isn't safe to talk here. Let's go somewhere else." Penny waved at Ruby to follow, and the two headed into the heart of Vale.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In the CCTS building, Weiss made her way to the Communications Room, where she was greeted by a holographic AI at the main desk. "Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center, how may I help you?" the AI, F.I.L.I.S., asked Weiss.

"I need to make a call to Schnee Company World Headquarters in Atlas," Weiss politely requested.

"Absolutely. If you can head over to terminal three, I can patch you through," F.I.L.I.S. told her as she typed onto her virtual keyboard. Weiss said her thanks and headed on over, where she passed by a couple exchange students on their own terminals, one of which she overheard talking to her mother.

Weiss sat down at the terminal and slipped on a false smile as the terminal booted up with an Atlas representative. "Thank you for calling the Atlas–Oh, Ms. Schnee!" the woman exclaimed, surprised to see the heiress calling her. "Would you like me to patch you through to your father? I think your sister, Winter, might be here as well."

"No thank you. I was actually wondering if you could find some files for me,. I've compiled a short list," Weiss stated, slipping her Scroll into the data slot, to which the list was sent instantly to the woman.

"I see…If you don't mind, may I ask what this is for?"

"It's for a school project."

The woman took a look at the list. "Um…There are some sensitive documents on this list, ma'am."

"Well, I'll be sure to treat them with care," Weiss said with a smile, ignoring her meaning.

"Right…Very well! The data is being transferred to your Scroll now."

"That will be all then." Weiss reached for the power switch on the terminal.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want me to patch you through to your father before you go?" the woman interrupted.

"Yes, I'm sure, but thank you anyway." The two bid farewell and Weiss's terminal powered down, where she quickly dropped her smile into a frown.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Elsewhere, in the slums, Lucas had wandered into a back alley bar named the _Sniffing Beowolf_ after visiting several others asking for information regarding the White Fang. The bartender at this one had nothing to say, but a small group of thugs wearing matching purple jackets bearing a salamander insignia piped up at the teen, saying they might know something.

"How about I buy you guys a drink for the info?" Lucas offered to them. The gang, consisting of six young men, gladly accepted, and after a server brought them their drinks, Lucas sat down with them. "So, what's the word about the White Fang around here?"

One of the thugs suddenly let out a loud chuckle. "What an idiot! I can't believe he fell for it!" The thugs instantly jumped up and drew switchblades, chains, and one of them had a bat. "We got free drinks, and now we can rob this loser silly!"

Lucas remained calm and in his seat, sipping at his beer. "Well, you guys got me there. Blame me on that one, I guess. Now, I'll give you guys one last chance to tell me what I want to know, or else I will have to hurt you then ask, and I won't do it nicely." Lucas concluded, making them all laugh.

"Seriously!? You really think you can take us on!?" one thug yelled and lunged at him with his knife. Lucas quickly jumped to his feet with his glass in hand, which he smashed into the thug's head when he approached, then he socked him in the face, making him go down. Another swung his chain at him, which snaked around his arm, but Lucas tugged onto it, pulling the thug close and allowing him to knee him in the crotch, where he let out a squeal and went down convulsing. Two went at Lucas while the remaining ones stayed back to assess the situation; one went at Lucas with a bat, which he ducked under and grabbed the thug, where he head butted him. The other charged at him with his own knife and lunged at him, but Lucas blocked the strike, swung the thug around, and broke his arm with an elbow attack, making him fall to the floor in agony; a few customers winced from the sight. One of the last two thugs shrank to a corner in fear while the other scoffed at him before rushing at Lucas with his chain. He swung his chain round at Lucas—who ducked under it—then charged at him, where he pushed him against the counter while strangling him. Lucas tried prying the thug's hands off him, but he was strong. The bartender quickly slid a bottle of booze down Lucas' way, where the teenage Huntsman snatched it and smashed it into the thug's head, sending him spinning. Lucas sprang up and slammed the thug onto the counter and slid him down it while he screamed; the three customers at the counter grabbed at their drinks before the thug could take them with him as he slid to the end and fell off. With a sigh of relief, Lucas went to the last thug, who was cowering in the corner.

"I'll tell you anything! Just don't hurt me!" he whined.

"Are the White Fang planning anything tonight or soon?" Lucas coldly asked.

"Okay, I don't know the exact details, but I've been hearing word that they're having a recruitment meeting tonight somewhere in the slums district near Woll Street! That's all I know, I swear!" Lucas gave the thug a mean glare, which made him flinch, but he let him go, where he scrambled out the door and disappeared. Lucas went to the thug he slid across the bar and fished out the money from his wallet, which he tossed to the bartender. "Sorry for the mess," Lucas told the man, to which he nodded.

"You handled those Purple Salamanders rather well," the bartender complimented. "I guess the rumors of the Sinful Divided are true after all, huh? You guys really can kick some serious ass." Lucas gave him a silent nod and left.

Outside, Lucas called up Blake. "Blake, I just got info that the White Fang may be setting up a recruitment meeting somewhere in the slums around Woll Street," he relayed to her.

"Thanks. We'll take a look around there. Keep looking for anything else and let us know if you do," she told him before hanging up. Lucas brushed at his hair and took off down the alley towards the territory of the Blood Cross gang.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Elsewhere, Ruby and Penny met up and took a stroll down the street near center square of Vale. "I wish I can help you, Ruby, but I don't know anything about those men from the docks," Penny told her friend.

"Well, then where did you go? One minute we were all together, then suddenly you were gone. What happened?" Ruby asked with concern.

"Well, I've never been to another kingdom outside of Atlas before, and my father often has to keep a close watch on me and ensure that I do not venture too far out, and well, that night I did," Penny explained. She noticed the concern on Ruby's face. "Please don't misunderstand. My father loves me very much, but he just worries a lot about me."

"Believe me, I know the feeling," Ruby told her, thinking of how protective her father is of her and Yang. "But, you could've called us to let us know you were alright or something."

"Well, I was told not to talk to you, or Weiss, or Blake, or Yang, or anybody, really."

"Was your dad that upset?"

"Oh no, not him."

A few people cut in front of the girls to go to the center square, where a couple large containers stood behind a row of Atlesian Knights. A hologram of General Ironwood stood in between them facing a growing crowd of citizens and Atlesian soldiers. Ruby and Penny went over to the back of the group to watch.

"The Artesian Knights model 130 has been a fine standard source of security for Remnant for several years," the Ironwood hologram proudly stated. "However, the kingdom of Atlas is a kingdom of innovation! And 'fine' just isn't good enough anymore!" The containers slid open, revealing a line of Atlesian Knights clad in white and black, compared to the model 130s' black and red. These new white Knights booted online and kicked the black Knights down to the ground and stepped down. "Behold, the new Atlesian Knight 200!" Applause echoed around. "Their AI systems are much smarter, they are sleeker, and, admittedly, a lot less scary." The new Knights began making poses, which entertained the crowd. "These new models will be active in time for the Vytal Festival, so all of you will have nothing to fear or worry about when the time comes, but the Knights will not be alone…" The hologram of Ironwood disappeared and was replaced with one depicting a large bipedal mecha. "…The Atlesian Military has always supported the idea of removing men from the dangers of the battlefield, yet, there are still many situations that require undoubtably require a human touch. As such, our kingdom's greatest minds, in cooperation with the Schnee Dust Company, are proud to introduce the Atlesian Paladin!" Thunderous applause rang out. "We could not have these out for you to see today, but there mechanized battle suits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdoms within the year! And once we are finished with the prototypes, we will work on a series of self-piloting Paladins to work alongside the manned ones!" The hologram faded away, leaving the Atlesian soldiers stationed there to gather the Atlesian Knights back into the containers and tend to the crowd, all of whom had questions to ask about the new military defenses.

"Ruby, maybe we should leave," Penny wearily suggested. Two blue soldiers nearby noticed Penny and began running for her, to which Penny turned and gave chase. Ruby chose to follow after her friend, where Penny ducked into an alley and began picking up speed. The soldiers picked up speed, and fast, soon catching up to them both. Ruby and Penny dashed out into an empty street and into another alley, but when the soldiers came out, they were temporary stopped by a couple cars that drove in front of them, allowing the girls to gain distance. Penny turned around a corner, leaving Ruby behind, who noticed a scaffolding holding up a series of crates. She drew Crescent Rose and sliced at one of the legs as she sped past, creating a large mess between her and the incoming soldiers. Ruby used her Semblance to speed ahead to grab Penny and rocket themselves down to the end of the alley, but Ruby tired out and gave away, dropping Penny and spinning out onto the open road, just as a large truck came her way, blaring its horn at her. Suddenly, Penny shoved Ruby aside and took the hit for her, but instead of being squashed under the truck, the truck was abruptly forced to a complete stop, forcing Penny into the road and tearing it apart. "Are you okay?" she asked the shocked driver. A few people began gathering to observe what had happened. Penny dashed off past Ruby, who was still shocked at what she saw, but quickly snapped from her trance to chase after her friend.

Penny stopped at a garbage area behind a restaurant, allowing Ruby to catch up to her. "Penny, what is going on!? Why are you running!? How did you do that!?" Ruby gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Everything is…fine!" Penny said with a hiccup. "I don't–I don't want to talk about it!" Another hiccup.

"Penny, please, you can tell me what's wrong. I can help you," Ruby assured her.

"You wouldn't understand!"

"Well, let me try! Please trust me!"

Penny shifted back and forth, staring at both Ruby and various parts of the walls around them. "You promise you're my friend, right!?" Ruby nodded and Penny showed her her hands that she used to stop the truck. Ruby was expecting to see her hands torn up, with broken skin, blood, and perhaps exposed flesh, but she was not expecting to see metal underneath Penny's skin. "I'm not…a real girl, Ruby," Penny confessed.

Ruby stared wide-eyed in silence for a moment, attempting to take this all in before she uttered a single "Oh…" She continued staring at both Penny and her hands for a moment in absolute silence. "What…What do you mean you're not a 'real girl'?"

"Most girls are born, but I was made. I am the world's first synthetic person capable of generating an Aura…And yet, I'm not real…" Ruby closed Penny's hands with her own and gave her a smile.

"No, you're wrong. Jus because you're made of nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts doesn't make you any less human than I. You're nothing like those machine we saw back at the square. You have a heart and a soul, I can feel it." Ruby placed her hand over Penny's breast, where her heart would be located. Her skin was cold at the touch.

Penny smiled and took Ruby into her arms. "Oh, Ruby, you're the best friend anyone can ever have!" She cradled Ruby in her arms, who was plastered against her cold, metallic body.

"I can see why your father would want to protect such a delicate flower," Ruby moaned.

"Of course, he's the one who made me, after all. Well, him and General Ironwood."

"Wait, so that's why those soldiers were after you." Ruby concluded.

"Ruby, one day, it will my job to protect the world, but I'm not ready yet. That's why I'm here to compete in the tournament."

"Let's check down here!" called a voice.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, but I must go now," Penny told her friend before scooping her up and tossing her into a nearby dumpster. The soldiers soon arrived and escorted Penny away, leaving Ruby alone, hiding in the safety of the dumpster.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Elsewhere, Yang and Neptune arrived at Junior's Club by the time night covered the sky. There, Yang pressured Junior for answers regarding the night he met with Roman while Neptune did his usual thing: chilling out. In the end, Junior had nothing to say, other than that Roman paid him to borrow some of his thugs and he never got them back nor did he ever see Roman since. Yang left the club frustrated with Neptune following behind her, giving the Malachite twins a wink, both of whom scoffed at him as he left.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Over in the slums, Blake and Sun found a secret gathering of White Fang recruits hidden in a winding maze of alleys. The two donned White Fang masks and were allowed in upon proving their Faunus heritage, and they moved up front to get a closer look. Up upon a stage was a large object shrouded in a tarp, but it was clear it was something big, towering at least ten feet into the air, and there was a muscular White Fang member wearing a white mask painted with red that mirrored a Grimm's skull pattern, but Blake could not figure out what sort of Faunus he was. Near him off to the side was Neo, who stood silently, watching the newly-arrived recruits. "Is that a girl a Human?" Sun whispered to Blake.

"She looks like a Human, but there's something off about her," Blake answered. After everyone had gathered into the building, Roman Torchwick walked onto stage and was met with thunderous foul cries from the Faunus.

"What is a Human doing here!?" cried a young woman with deer antlers.

"I'm glad you asked," Roman answered for her. "Look, I'll be the first to admit that Humans are the worst, even though I'm one myself, but they hate me as well, so that sorta puts us together on the subject of hating Humans. I know a lot of you would like to see us imprisoned or even killed. However, our biggest enemies—the ones that you and I both hate equally—are the ones who pull the strings, sign the laws, all that lame political stuff! The ones who run our governments, our military, and even the schools! They're the ones to blame for why your kind are considered less than animals or even less than the Grimm!" Thunderous applause rang out. "And guess what? I got ourselves a little something to help us take those filthy Humans out for good!" Roman snapped his fingers and the masked man yanked at the tarp, revealing one of the Atlesian Paladin prototypes, though this one had the red White Fang insignia marked upon it. "These little machines are built to protect the Kingdoms from the scary things in the world, and thanks to an insider of the Atlesian Military, I've gotten ahold of a number of these prototypes for us to use. We've already sent some to your fellow comrades who are operating in the southeast, and we intend to help you fight your fight by giving you some of the prototypes here. Now, who would like to fight against Humanity?" The entire building roared with cheers from the Faunus, both citizens and White Fang.

"The southeast? What could they be doing down there?" Blake wondered to herself as citizens moved forward to an area to be recruited. "We better get out of here and report what we found." Before they could even take a step, Roman's eyes caught them, and he was quick to recognize them from the docks. He motioned his masked friend at the two and the masked man started his way towards them. Blake spotted an electrical box nearby and fired Gambol Shroud at it, instantly cutting the lights off and allowing the two to escape out a window. They mad their way atop a building and ran along the roofs, but then the Paladin piloted by Roman burst from the building wall and chased after them.

"Do we have some kind of plan!?" Sun cried as the Paladin gained on them, crushing parked cars in its path and sending the nighttime citizens into a panic. Police were quickly summoned to the scene, but all police cars were easily brushed aside by the Paladin, rendering the police practically useless. Blake quickly called up the other members of RWBY, Neptune, and Lucas. Ruby was excited to hear the news of a giant bipedal mecha and rushed to catch up to them. Weiss was somewhat annoyed that the two needed her help, but she went to go find them. Yang buckled up on her motorcycle and warned Neptune to hold on as they sped off in search of the Paladin. Lucas found himself a parked car in an empty lot, where he broke in and hot-wired it then drove out to find the others.

Roman eventually chased Blake and Sun onto the interstate highway, where the Faunus Huntsmen traversed across the tops of the honking cars before they were thrown aside by the Paladin. Yang and Neptune chased after the Paladin while avoiding the cars that was thrown in their way. Lucas drove onto the main interstate from an exit ramp and slammed the pedal down to pick up speed, soon passing Yang's motorcycle and catching up to the Paladin. Lucas rolled down the driver's window and locked the accelerator down with a small box that sat in the passenger seat. "Oh, damn, this is so stupid," Lucas told himself as he climbed out onto the roof of the car. Behind him, Neptune fired off a few electrical-infused bullets from his rifle, briefly stunning the Paladin in its tracks, allowing Lucas to leap onto its main body with an Aura-powered jump.

Roman's sensors picked up Lucas' presence, but there was nothing he could do at the moment, allowing the teen to use his Semblance, Astral Fist. Lucas raised a fist, which became enveloped in his cerulean blue Aura and he repeatedly slammed the fist into the body of the Paladin, dealing massive damage and jostling Roman in the cockpit a few times. Neptune joined him and leapt onto the Paladin with his rifle now transformed into its trident form, which he stabbed into its arm, tasing it with an electrical shock. Sun activated his Semblance, Monkey Tricks, where two clones of himself made of his gold Aura appeared and flew at the Paladin, striking it and disappearing upon impact. He quickly drew his bo staff and leapt at the Paladin, but Roman grabbed at Neptune and Lucas and flung them at Sun, where they collided midair and were flown off the interstate and out of the battle.

"I'm in position!" Weiss alerted everyone up on an overpass. She leapt down onto the interstate as the Paladin came rushing at her, where she froze the ground underneath her with an icy strike from Myrtenaster, causing the Paladin to lose its balance and slide across the ice, where it crashed into the interstate border and down onto the ground below the interstate, where Ruby awaited it with Crescent Rose drawn and ready as the rest of her team regrouped.

Together, with their combined teamwork, Team RWBY quickly destroyed the Atlesian Paladin and forced Roman out of it, thanks most in part to Yang and her Semblance (which Yang often jokingly calls S&M sometimes) that allowed her to destroy it with one punch of damage that built up over time. With Roman exposed and defenseless, Ruby fired a powerful shot from Crescent Rose onto him, but Neo suddenly dropped in and blocked the shot with her deployed umbrella. Ruby gave the strange girl a curious look, as if she recognized her.

"Well, I suppose we best be off. Red, Ice Queen, Kitten, and Blondie, ciao!" Roman chuckled as Neo leaned forward on her tiptoes and one arm extended out to her side as both remained motionless. Yang, still in her raging outburst, dashed forward and tried punching Neo with a firing shot, but upon contact, both Neo and Roman shattered to pieces like glass, only to reappear behind the others in a bullhead that took off. "How the hell did she do that!?" Yang growled.

"Looks like he got himself a new henchman though," Blake noted.

"Yeah, you could say she made our plans fall apart," Weiss joked, earning a snigger from Ruby, but disapproval from Yang for the joke being terrible and issued at an improper time.

Elsewhere, Sun, Neptune, and Lucas were at the _A Simple Wok Noodle House_ , which they went to after landing into a street in a jumbled mess. "Well, that fight didn't go so well," Lucas commented before slurping down some noodles.

"You think the girls are alright?" Neptune asked his partner.

"Yeah, I"m sure they're fine," Sun answered. "Oh, Lucas, I saw your move with the car. Pretty gutsy, dude."

"More like stupid, really." The three continued having their noodles before they returned back to Beacon for the night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In a rundown building deep within the slums district, Adam Taurus was meeting with the masked White Fang member from the recruitment rally. There were a few other WF members with Adam minding their own business while their leader spoke with the masked man. "Are you sure it was Blake?" Adam asked him.

"Positive, sir," the man answered simply. Adam scoffed and clenched his fist at his side.

"So, this is where she ran off to, huh? She abandons her people and our revolution to join those filthy Humans and their Huntsmen…" Adam gritted his teeth in frustration.

"With your permission, sir, I will be happy to capture her and bring her before you…"'

"NO," Adam said sternly. "We–I will deal with Blake personally when the time comes. However, I want you to go to Mountain Glenn in the southeast and help them get the train up and running in time."

"Thank you, sir, but wouldn't my expertise be a better use…"

"That is an order, Jaakuna!" Adam barked, making the man known as Jaakuna flinch. Adam let out a sigh. "Forgive me, my friend."

"Apology accepted, sir."

Adam gave Jaakuna a silent look for a moment. "Let me see your face for a moment," he ordered. Jaakuna slipped off his mask, revealing shaved-short black hair, tiny dark eyes, and tanned skin with a scar on his right cheek, but not one sign of Faunus trait, signifying him as a Human. "Jaakuna, you are my best friend, and the only Human I trust. Ever. I need you to go to Mountain Glenn in the morning to get our revolution started sooner."

"I understand. Forgive me for speaking against you." Jaakuna replaced his mask onto his face and took his leave.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **October 11th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy, Vale**

In the week following the fight against the Paladin prototype, word got around about how the White Fang stole an Atlesian Paladin, which infuriated General Ironwood, who recalled the prototypes and instead made orders to have self-guiding AI Paladins made in time for the Vytal Festival to ensure that the same incident does not occur again. But, aside from that, the biggest concern on everyone's mind was the upcoming dance, where the students of the four academies gather to dance with one another and have a wonderful time.

"Well, I got myself a date for the dance! I'm going with Nebula Violette!" Tristan announced to the rest of Team LOST in their dorm.

"The leader of Team NDGO from Shade? Nice catch," Olivia complimented as she was cleaning her "Happiness is a Warm Olive" weapon set.

"You know, you guys should get yourselves dates before all the good ones are taken."

"Hey, I've been trying, okay?" Olivia answered.

"By 'trying,' do you mean stalking Reese Chloris of Team ABRN while being too afraid to approach her?" Olivia had no comment to answer with. "Tell you what, I'll help you get a date with her, same for you, Lucas. As for you, Senna, it's an impossible task." Tristan quickly ducked out of the room before Senna could throw something at him, but Olivia appeared stressed about what her partner was going to do.

"I really wish he wouldn't do this," Olivia moaned with a sigh.

"Why have you been stalking that Reese girl anyway?" Lucas asked. Olivia did not answer, instead going to her dresser, where she brought back the picture frame of her and Glas Radiance. She pointed to herself and the identical next to her.

"This is me and my twin brother Oliver from a couple years back when we were in Glas Radiance," Olivia explained.

"I didn't know you had a twin brother," Senna commented.

"Well, I don't like to talk about him much, really. See, Oliver died about a year before I came to Beacon…" Olivia wiped at her eyes for a brief moment. "He saved my life while we were on a contract mission about a year ago and died. See, Oliver always wanted to become a Huntsman since we were younger, but he never got to see it happen. I chose to become a Huntress for him after that and leaving behind the mercenary life. The reason I've been trying to avoid Reese Chloris is because we met her nearly two years ago and she and my brother kinda got a thing going during that time, and I cannot bring myself to tell her the news." Olivia took a deep breath and left the dorm room, leaving Lucas and Senna alone.

Lucas went straight to his Scroll and went onto the web. "I thought I've heard Glas Radiance from somewhere," he muttered before showing Senna his Scroll depicting a news article from a couple years back of Glas Radiance lined up for a photo with an article of how they aided a band of Huntsmen in protecting a small town in Atlas. "They are among the top ranked Lawful mercenary groups and are often recruited by Huntsmen for extra support, and they often went out of their way to protect people from the Grimm."

"Even if they weren't paid?" Senna wondered. Lucas nodded. "I guess not all mercenaries are just money-grubbing murderers…"

"It's the Lawfuls that are more good people. Neutral Mercenaries are in between the spectrum, and Chaotics are murderers who would be hired by terrorists, corrupt politicians, and criminals." Senna picked up the Glas Radiance picture frame and stared attentively at the smiling Marquette twins from a time when they were happy together.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Blake was currently in the library looking over a map of the Vale region, pinpointing any possible locations where the White Fang division could be hiding. She rubbed at her tired, baggy eyes and let out a drawn-out yawn. Ever since she got back from the mission, she has been tirelessly trying to find more information on the White Fang's excursions and plans nonstop, which lead to a lack of sleeping and a decrease in her everyday functionality. Her friends quickly took notice and tried to convince her to take a break by going to the upcoming dance, but she refused, choosing to work instead. Yang came and dragged her away to an empty classroom where they could talk privately.

"You need to slow down for a bit, Blake, before you collapse," Yang warned her as she sat upon the teacher's desk.

"We don't have that luxury, Yang," Blake argued.

"At this point, it's more of a necessity than a luxury."

Blake gave her a cold stare. "The necessity is stopping Torchwick. Every minute we waste is extra time allowing him to further his plans."

"We will, but right now, you need to sit down and listen to us for a moment." Yang patted the spot next to her. Blake was hesitant, but she sat down on the spot.

"Ruby and I live on Patch, a small island off the coast of Vale to the west. Our parents are Huntsmen; our father teaches at Signal and our mom would take missions around the Kingdom and she became somewhat famous. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was like a supermom, baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. Ruby looked up to her as a huge role model, and she ended up basing her combat uniform off Summer's, especially with the cloak. But then one day, when we were young, she left on a mission and never returned…They didn't even recover her body; said that she was devoured by Grimm…Ruby took it hard, but I think she was too young to really grasp the understanding of what had happened. My dad just sort of shut down, and I can understand why…Summer was his second wife. His first wife was my mother, Raven Branwen. I found out when we were older that our dad, both our moms, and our Uncle Qrow were all on a team together back in Beacon, and they were the top of the top. From what he told me, Raven left us when I was barely a year old, and no one has seen her since."

"Why did she leave you?" Blake asked with concern.

"No one knows, and everyone I asked always said that Raven kept close to herself. Not even Qrow, her own brother, knew anything…But one day, I found what I thought was a clue, one that I thought may lead to some answers or even my mom. It was a photo of a church that was located on Patch. When I discovered this clue, I waited for dad to leave for work and I set off with Ruby in a wagon for company. We must've walked for what felt like hours. I was covered in cuts and bruises, I was exhausted, and Ruby eventually fell asleep in the wagon. But I eventually found the church, but I soon realized that the photo had to have been very old, as the church itself was in ruins and half-collapsed, with its big emblem of some kind of hourglass in a globe hanging on its hinges. I was ready to turn and head home when…when they emerged from within the church. Beowolves quickly surrounded us. There we were: a stupid girl too exhausted to cry for help and a sleeping child in a wagon. I remember crying and biting my lip, thinking that our end was near, but then our Uncle Qrow appeared and sliced through those Beowolves. I can recall how he cleaved through each of them, but I saw that he wasn't alone; there was a big black wolf accompanying him, and that wolf keep close to me and Ruby, guarding us, and it leapt at any Beowolf that came at us, tearing their necks with ease and splattering their Grimm blood on itself and the ground.

"When it was over, I leapt into our uncle's arms and cried into his shoulder while he told me that everything was going to be okay. I saw the wolf, with its gleaming silver eyes and blood-soaked fur, and I swear it scared me with just its gaze, and then it nuzzled close to Ruby, who was still asleep despite all that happened. I yelled at the wolf to get away from her, but Qrow made me hush up. The wolf nestled its head near Ruby and she instinctively put an arm onto it like it was her teddy bear. The wolf drew away from her, gave Qrow and I a nod—if you can believe that—and bounded off into the woods. Qrow took us home, told us to never go so far from home again, and kept it a secret from dad."

The two of them were silent for a moment. "Yang, I understand what you're trying to tell me, and I'm sorry for what happened to you then, but this is different. I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers, I'm trying to save lives and–!" Blake started.

"Blake, I'm not asking you to quit, I'm just asking you to take a break before you hurt yourself!" Yang interrupted, silencing her. "Blake, I haven't given up trying to find my mom or find out why she left me, even to this day, but I'm not letting it control me like you're letting Torchwick control you."

"I'm not letting him control me!" Blake snapped.

"Yes, you are, Blake!" she argued. "You're constantly trying to figure out his plans when we learned so little already!" She pointed at the classroom door. "If Torchwick walked in here right now, what would you do?"

"I'd fight him!" she answered.

"You'd end up losing!" Yang shot at her, giving her a hard shove, sending her flopping onto the desk. Blake started tearing up and then she broke into sobs. Yang lifted her up and pulled her into a hug. "We're not asking you to give up, we're just worried about you," she whispered to her friend. "I get it, you used to be a White Fang member, and now you want to correct the mistakes of the past, but working yourself to exhaustion isn't going to fix anything. You gotta show everyone that you're Blake Belladonna, Huntress of Beacon and not Blake Belladonna of the White Fang," she whispered to her, making her cry even harder. The two broke up and Blake stood there, crying her eyes out. When she had finished, she looked at Yang with a faint smile now.

"There you go," Yang remarked. "There's our kitty cat smiling all happy now. C'mon, let me take you to bed so you can rest up. And you know, the dance is four days from now, and it would be a perfect time for you to relax some more." Yang put an arm around her and guided her back to their dorm.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Later that night, up on the balcony, Pyrrha was training Jaune in more swordplay. Both had their weapons and shields drawn and were poised to fight. Jaune ran at Pyrrha and swung his sword horizontally at her, which she blocked with her shield and counterattacked, which he did with his own shield. Jaune leapt back a bit with his shield raised to guard against Pyrrha's attacks and the two circled around each other. Pyrrha ran forward this time with her shield leading her, where she bashed into Jaune and shoved him to the ground. Jaune quickly rolled over and leapt to his feet, but Pyrrha was already upon him, swinging Milo down onto him, which he blocked by raising both his sword and shield up. He gave Pyrrha a smirk, as if saying he had won, but she returned the smirk and gave him a good kick, sending him back down to the ground again.

"Very impressive," Pyrrha complimented as she helped her partner up. "Your swordplay is improving nicely, though your defense could use a little more work besides rolling and dodging around."

"Sorry, it's just that I'm not that strong with my shield, so I…"

"No no no! I meant as in you have to find a balance between using your shield and dodging in combat!" Pyrrha gave him a comforting smile. "Look, I think we've practiced enough in combat techniques, so how about we move onto Aura training? Once you've learned a bit of that, you can start using your Aura to do things like make yourself more mobile, both offensively and defensively."

"Actually, I think I'll skip Aura training and go for a jog or something," Jaune responded.

"Is there a problem?" _I don't understand why he is unable to control his Aura. I felt it, and it felt easy to use, so why cannot he?_

"It's just…It's Weiss…"

"Oh…" Pyrrha had hoped that it was something different. "…Well what about her?"

"I tried asking her out to the dance, and she shot me down," he answered. Earlier that day, Jaune went to Team RWBY's dorm with a guitar and sang for Weiss, who responded by snatching his guitar and smashing it against him while he cowered in fear.

"Well…I've always said that there's…plenty of fish in the sea," Pyrrha mumbled.

"Oh please, I bet you have guys clamoring over each other to try asking you out!" he laughed, which she jokingly laughed back.

"You'd be surprised."

"PFT! Oh please, if you don't get a date to the dance, I'll wear a dress! HA!" he joked as he walked off. Pyrrha silently watched him go while feeling sad for herself.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In their dorm room, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were going over Pyrrha's file and transcripts. Earlier that day, Mercury discovered her Semblance is Polarity, allowing her control over metallic objects, during a practice fight they had together. "My my, Pyrrha Nikos has such an interesting record," Cinder commented. "I can see why many call her the Invincible Girl."

"Well, she doesn't broadcast her power like others do. She uses it in small increments just to make herself look untouchable," Emerald explained.

"Hm, she must be under orders from Aziela to hide her powers to appear like a normal Huntress, but I know that she's the Dànsling. Just look at her; she appears so much like Aziela and she shares the same emblem and yet people seem to think she's fated for victory, but really, she's taken fate into her own hands…Interesting."

"You should be able to take her with no problems," Mercury added.

"Oh, trust me, she may be Aziela's Paladin, and she may be the Invincible Girl, but I am the Olcsling and a Wytch. The years Pyrrha Nikos has spent in this world pale in comparison to how long I have lived."

"So then you should be able to overpower her with no problems."

Cinder chuckled. "Yes, it will be a simple task."

"And what about her other teammates, like her leader?" Mercury asked.

"I hacked into the computers and found his transcripts and it turns out that her leader snuck into Beacon with forged transcripts," Emerald explained. Cinder became mildly interested at the sound of this. "I don't know for sure if Ozpin knows about this or not."

"Oh, he knows. Ozpin has always showed compassion towards the unfortunate or those with potential," Cinder answered. "Did you find anything else about that boy?"

"There wasn't much in his family's history, which goes back to the days of the Great War where his great-great-grandfather was a soldier during the war." Emerald handed her Scroll to Cinder, who looked over Jaune's family tree, which dated back to his great-great-grandfather, Jaundice Arc.

"Given how close Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos are becoming, it's likely that she will choose this Jaune Arc as her Guardian and share her Draíochta with him, but he still won't be trouble to us."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"Well, guys, wish me luck," Jaune proclaimed to his teammates. "I'm gonna ask Weiss to the dance and this time, I'm not trying any moves, pick up lines, or anything; I'll just tell her exactly how I feel about her and she'll fall head over heels for me. Like Pyrrha said, I can't get it wrong if it's the truth." Jaune dressed himself in some nicer clothes to appeal to Weiss and had a beautiful white rose to give to her. He gave everyone a wave before heading out.

"You give him advice to express his feelings and yet you don't practice what you preach," Nora told the redhead. Pyrrha gave her friend a silent glance, sighed and went to sit on her bed.

Jaune went down to the auditorium where the dance would be held, as Weiss would still be there to finish up any last minute set ups. However, he instead found Weiss outside the auditorium with Neptune. He hid behind a pillar and eavesdropped in on them.

"So, I know this is unorthodox, but I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the dance?" Weiss asked of him. Jaune bore a sad look and gave a soft sigh, knowing that he was too late. He turned and left, leaving his white rose on the ground.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **October 15th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy, Vale**

It was the night of the dance, and the four Kingdoms have gathered in the auditorium to relax, build friendships, and, of course, dance the night away. Ruby was trying to have fun, but her social awkwardness combined with her irritability with wearing stiletto heels was driving her nuts. Weiss sat by herself watching the spectators, and Blake came and had a wonderful short dance with Yang before the two ended and Blake went to Sun. "You actually look happy for once," he told her, earning a light smack upside his head with a laugh from Blake. Elsewhere, Jaune was standing alone by the punch bowl sipping away while Nora was constantly attempting to drag Ren out onto the dance floor, but he soon gave up and showed off some of his expert dance moves, surprising everyone. Pyrrha was nowhere to be found.

Team LOST gathered together near a corner, but of them all, only Tristan had his date with him; Nebula Violette was garbed in a beautiful violet dress while standing beside Tristan and introduced herself to the rest of the team. Tristan soon waved his friends goodbye and went with Nebula onto the dance floor, where he swept her into his arms for a passionate slow dance. "He's got good moves," Lucas commented.

"Given that he incorporates dance into his combat style, it's no surprise," said Olivia, who was wearing a simple black suit and a green shirt, given her dislike for dresses and skirts, which somewhat irritated Senna in her fancy, expensive purple dress.

"Hello, Lucas," said Arslan Altan of Team ABRN as she strolled over to them in a dazzling gold and white dress, shocking the Vacuo teen. "Want to dance?" She did not wait for an answer before taking his hand and dragging him out onto the dance floor. It took him a couple minutes to get the hang of it, but he was soon gliding gracefully across the floor with Arslan in his arms, and the two began enjoying each other's company.

"Well, that worked out for him, I guess he needs to send Tristan a thank you card after this," Olivia commented before walking off on her own. A boy from Beacon, Iroiki Asphodelos, went up to Senna and offered her a dance, which she accepted with a smile.

Ruby relocated over by the punch bowl where she scooped up a cup and began sipping it while sighing to herself. "What's wrong? Not having any fun?" Ozpin asked, coming up from behind and surprising her with his smile.

"Ah, no no, everything's fine!" Ruby assured him. "It's just that I'm not much of a fancy-pantsy-dancy girl."

"Well, you cannot spend your entire life on the battlefield, no matter how much you may want to, and there will come a time when you wish you had such relaxing moments like these," Ozpin told her. "However, if you think about it, dancing and fighting aren't that different. Two partners interlocked together in a battle, though one wrong move in a dance will lead to just a swollen foot." The two shared a chuckle at his comment. Once they regained themselves, Ozpin turned to Ruby directly. "It's not everyday that friends get together like this, and peaceful moments like these are few and far between. Time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help strengthen them beyond their limits, making them last entire lifetimes. So Ruby, I know you may dislike social interaction, but it would be best to make some happy memories for yourself; you will find that even in the darkest of times, a happy memory can keep you going." He gave her a soft smile and walked off while she stared curiously after him. A little later, Jaune joined with Ruby at the punch bowl, and the two named themselves the "socially-awkward kids."

Across the room, Jaune could see Neptune making Blake and Sun laugh. Frustrated, he began making his way towards Neptune, but his path was cut off by Pyrrha silently passing him, where she went up the spiral staircase up to the second floor. Jaune noticed that she seemed upset about something and chose to follow after her instead.

Up on the balcony above the stairway, Olivia looked down upon the dancing people enjoying themselves. From behind, Reese Chloris came up beside her wearing an elegant green dress. Olivia took notice of her, but looked away. "Um, hi," Reese mumbled to her.

"Hey." Olivia returned. "So, I guess Tristan told you how I was following you around?" Reese nodded. "Reese, I never meant to stalk you or anything. Hell, I never thought I'd even see you again, actually."

"Well, when Tristan came to me and told me your name, I barely believed it myself; I thought you were happy being a mercenary."

"Yeah, I was, but things changed after Oliver died…"

"Oliver's…dead?" Reese whimpered, tears welling up in her eyes. Oliver cursed herself for letting that slip.

"Yeah…he's…gone…"

"What happened to him?"

"It's kinda of a long story, really."

"I want to know." Olivia let out a sigh and took Reese's hand and lead her to a lonely balcony on the second floor to discuss more.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune followed Pyrrha out onto a lonely balcony, who was looking up at the twinkling stars in the night sky. "Hey, Pyrrha," he called to her.

She spun around. "Hello, Jaune."

"So, you okay? I haven't seen you all night up till now." He walked over to her side. "You look really nice, by the way."

"Thank you, and I was just running a little late, is all."

"So, where's your date?"

Pyrrha was silent for a moment. "I have no date, actually," she finally said, surprising Jaune. "Nobody asked me to the dance."

"Oh, c'mon, that's impossible! You're Pyrrha Nikos! Why wouldn't anyone ask you out?"

"Me being Pyrrha Nikos is exactly the reason why no one asked me out." Her answer seemed to only confuse him. "Jaune, you know who I am, right?"

"Pft. What kind of question is that? You're Pyrrha Nikos, member of Team JNPR, and my partner and best friend," he told her, which made her smile a little.

"Yes, that's true, but I'm also the Invincible Girl who graduated top of her class at Sanctum, and won the Mistral regional tournaments four times in a row. All my life, I've been blessed with incredible talents and opportunities that has me surrounded with love and praise, but when you're placed on a pedestal like that for so long, you become separated from the people who put you there in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

Pyrrha turned to face him. "Everyone assumes that I'm too good for them, that I'm on a level that they can never attain to, and it became impossible for me to form any sort of relationship with people…But that was before I met you," Pyrrha revealed.

"Wait…Me? What did I do?" Jaune was completely confused now.

"You didn't recognize me, that's what." Pyrrha smiled now. "When we met, you didn't even know my name, and even when you learned it, you still had no idea who I was and treated me like I was a regular girl. Even when Weiss was naming off all my accolades to you, the only one you recognized me for was posing for a cereal box, and you were the first to ever notice me for that. And even then, after finding out who I was, you still continued to treat me like anyone else. That's what I like about you, Jaune, and thanks to you, I have made friendships that will last me a lifetime, ones that have nothing to do with my accomplishments." Jaune gave her a blank look, as he was taking all of this in. "I guess…you're exactly the kind of guy I wish I was here with." Pyrrha left him there, but before she took a second step, Jaune grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"I'm sorry I was so stupid," Jaune admitted, Pyrrha tried to tell him that he's wrong, but he hushed her. "It's so stupid, really. I was trying to ask Weiss out to the dance even though she hates me, and here you were, always helping me, supporting me, guiding me, and always kind towards me…Pyrrha, if it isn't too late, will you be my date to the dance?"

"Yes, of course I will," she answered without hesitation as tears began welling up in her eyes. "We better get back before the dance ends, right?" He nodded and the two were about to leave when Neptune appeared before them.

"Um, Jaune, can I ask you something…something private?" he stuttered.

"I'll go on ahead," Pyrrha whispered to Jaune before heading off without him.

"What is it?" Jaune scoffed, still thinking about how he beat him to the punch with Weiss.

"I was wondering if you could…help me with impressing Weiss." This made Jaune nearly burst out laughing.

"'Impress Weiss'?" Are you serious? What, did your 'Mister Cool' attitude not work with her?" Neptune mumbled something under his breath. "What was that?"

"I can't dance," Neptune squeakily admitted, making Jaune go silent. "I turned her down because I have no idea how to dance."

"Un…be…lievable" was all Jaune could say. "So the coolest guy of his team doesn't know how to dance," Jaune playfully taunted. "C'mere and take my hands."

"Uh, what?" Neptune puzzling asked.

"I'm going to teach you how to dance, so put your hand in mine and your other hand on my shoulder. I'll lead." Neptune was hesitant at first, but gave in. Jaune guided him across the balcony floor while counting off numbers to keep the two of them in rhythm. After a while, Neptune soon got the hang of it and he began to enjoy himself. "There, that should do you just fine. And whenever you're dancing to any other music, just move your body in tune with the rhythm of the song," Jaune instructed. Neptune gave his thanks and the two headed off, but Jaune broke off from his new friend and went off towards the dorms, telling Neptune that he will be back as soon as possible.

Jaune raced to his dorm room and went to his closet. On the end of the line resting on a hanger was a dress that his sisters sent him along with his tuxedo as a joke. "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad they sent me this," Jaune said to himself as he took the dress down and began unchanging.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Jaune walked into the auditorium wearing a dress, everyone's focus went on him, and the entire room filled with laughter and jeers towards him. The only ones who were not laughing were his teammates and Cardin Winchester (who ordered his teammates to stop laughing at Jaune), and a few others. Olivia and Reese, who were dancing together, broke into fits of laughter that sent them to the floor and Tristan Cortes was howling with laughter. Jaune ignored everyone and made his way to Pyrrha, who was shocked to see him in a dress. "Jaune, you didn't have to wear a dress!" she told him in between her giggles.

"Hey, I promised you that I'd wear this if you came without a date, and I always keep my word. So are you gonna just stand there and laugh, or do you want to dance?" he asked her, extending his hand to her, which she accepted.

"I would love to dance," she answered before Jaune twirled her into his arms. Everyone soon broke into applause as the two began dancing. Ren and Nora soon joined in with them as the entire room surrounded them as they danced to the current song. "I had no idea you were quite the dancer," she told Jaune as the crowd regrouped around them and resumed dancing once more.

"Well, you learn some things when you grow up with seven older sisters," Jaune explained, which they both chuckled about. Nearby, Weiss and Neptune were dancing together, though Neptune's idea of dancing appeared to resemble that of someone jerking their limbs about while having a seizure, but it seemed to be working for him. Scarlet David of Team SSSN was awkwardly dancing with Neon Katt of Team FNKI, who was giggling at his silly dance while she danced like a professional. "Scarlet, just relax a bit," Neon told him with a tried reasoning that he's never danced before, making him lose concentration and fall into her, where she caught him and hoisted him back up with a laugh. Tristan and Nebula soon joined with the two, where the two Faunus began a dance off against each other. Penny was dancing with two Atlesian soldiers who acted as her escorts, and she seemed to be having a good time. Elsewhere, Velvet was with her team enjoying a good conversation when Cardin Winchester came behind her and tapped her shoulder. Coco and Yatsuhashi gave him a mean glare, but Velvet had them calm down, to which Cardin extended his hand to her and asked her to dance. Velvet blushed a deep red, but accepted his hand, and the two went out onto the dance floor. Nora, who was still dancing with Ren, leapt into his arms without warning with a hoot, forcing him to hoist her into the air and twirl about while onlookers cheered. Sun and Blake were enjoying a little dancing jig together. Over in a corner, Lucas and Arslan were having a nice chat with each, learning a bit about one another. In another corner, Olivia and Reese were close, having a close chat with each other.

"Man, this dance is so boring," Ruby complained all by herself.

"Well, perhaps you need to learn to relax and have fun once in a while," said a voice behind her. Rub turned and gasped; before her was Cinder Fall, dressed in an elegant and beautiful black dress with small pieces of glass along it that shimmered in the lights. She extended her hand to Ruby. "Maybe if you danced for a bit, it would help." Ruby was hesitant, but she took Cinder's hand, who guided her onto the dance floor and brought her close to her, making Ruby blush a rosy red. Cinder and Ruby glided across the dance floor in tune with the music, and Ruby began to smile and enjoy herself. Up on the balcony, Yang saw Ruby and Cinder together. She stared curiously at Cinder, wondering why she seemed so interested in Ruby despite barely knowing her before then. She brushed the thought aside, instead taking satisfaction in that Ruby is finally enjoying herself at the dance.

Cinder danced with Ruby for a while, but had to leave her, much to Ruby's disappointment. Ruby asked where she was going, but Cinder declined to say. Cinder headed off outside the auditorium, where she ducked away to a secluded spot. There, she ran her hands laced with Draíochta over her body, and her dress glowed bright and changed into a black jumpsuit, leggings, and boots. She pulled a face mask from her pocket and slipped it on then headed off for the CCTS tower. Ruby, who was hovering near the auditorium doors, saw Cinder sneak away, but she did not recognize her.

Feeling curious, Ruby followed after the woman, where she caught up with her at the CCTS tower. From a hiding spot, she watched as the woman attacked the patrolling soldiers before going inside. Ruby summoned her rocket locker and grabbed Crescent Rose before heading inside. Inside the main area, she found more unconscious Atlesian soldiers lying around. Up in the main computer room, Cinder was at the main terminal, where she slid her scroll into the data slot, which made a queen chess piece icon appear on screen. This icon then appeared on the rest of the computers for a moment before disappearing. Downstairs, Ruby hurried into an elevator to head up the main computers. There, Cinder revealed herself to Ruby.

"Um, it's not a masquerade party, you know," Ruby noted to her. Cinder gave a chuckle and hastily waved her hand at her, making balls of fire appear in front of her, which she shot at Ruby, who deflected them with Crescent Rose and took an offensive stance, then fired several shots at Cinder, who blocked them with her hand, causing her body suit to glow with a fiery light. Cinder shot more fireballs at Ruby, who dodged them as they blasted into the tower walls, then Ruby dashed forward and struck at Cinder with her scythe. Her blade made contact with Cinder, but Ruby then gasped, for Cinder was holding the blade back with her bare hands on the blade. Cinder powered Draíochta through her hands, allowing her to knock Crescent Rose back and out of Ruby's hands, where it fell to the floor away from her, then she snatched Ruby up by her throat. Ruby kicked and struggled, but it was futile. Cinder gave Ruby a smirk and threw her to the floor. She had two black blades materialize from thin air, which she conjoined at the pommels to form a bow and had a black glass arrow appear and nocked it, pointing it directly at Ruby. Ruby shielded herself with her arms, but she did not feel the arrow strike her, instead she heard a door open. She looked to the elevators and found General Ironwood standing before the elevator. "General, sir, that woman! She's–!" Ruby exclaimed, pointing to where Cinder was, but she had disappeared.

"I've got soldiers outside searching for the intruder and medics taking care of the ones who were stationed here," Ironwood explained to Ruby before she could say anything. "Come, I will take you back to Beacon so you can enjoy the rest of the night." He beckoned Ruby to follow him into the elevator. "Thank you for taking some initiative and following that intruder," he told her on the way down, giving her a comforting smile.

Back at the dance, Cinder had already returned and back into her dress before Atlesian soldiers arrived. She mixed herself in with Mercury on the dance floor. "So, had any trouble?" he asked her.

"None at all, though Ruby Rose decided to follow and try to stop me, but she was no trouble at all," Cinder answered in a hush.

"So, what should we do now?"

"We wait for the Vytal tournament to begin, then we proceed with the plan. Right now, let's enjoy the night. It is a party, after all." Cinder spotted Ruby and Ironwood returning, and a smile crept across her face. Across the auditorium, she spied Pyrrha and Jaune dancing together once more, both of them enjoying themselves immensely, which satisfied Cinder. _Enjoy it while it lasts, Dànsling,_ Cinder thought.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The dance lasted until midnight, and when the clock struck twelve accompanied by twelve chimes, everyone headed back to their dorms with many of them escorting their dates to their rooms. Ruby returned to her dorm room straight away with her teammates to discuss what happened, but the team had to wait for Blake and Sun to finish talking with each other outside their dorm first. No one knew that Sun and Blake were sharing a loving kiss outside, however.

Olivia escorted Reese back to ABRN's room, and there, they said their goodbyes, but Reese gave Olivia a big hug first. "It's good to see you again after so long," Reese whispered to her. When they separated, Reese noticed that Olivia was wearing her dog tags around her neck; she spotted two tags: one with Olivia's name and information upon it, and the other bearing Oliver's. She dabbed at her eyes and gave Olivia another hug, followed by a kiss on the cheek, making Olivia blush a deep red. "I know you're not Oliver, but you know, it feels like he hasn't really left now that I've gotten to know you. See you tomorrow, Olivia," she whispered before entering her room. Lucas and Arslan soon arrived as well.

"Thanks for the nice night, Lucas," Arslan told him at her door. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and a smile. "How about we get together for lunch sometime and talk some more?" Lucas gave a silent yet shaky nod, which made Arslan giggle before she waved him good bye and went inside. Lucas stood silent for a moment before his knees suddenly gave away, forcing Olivia to catch him.

"Looks like Mister Big and Tough can't handle a cute girl, huh?" she laughed as she helped him hobble back to their dorm. "Looks like you had a fun time as well."'

Elsewhere, Tristan and Nebula were beside NDGO's room door making out against the wall with the two locked in a passionate kiss the involved them exploring each other's mouths with their tongues. Their make-out fest was interrupted by Dew Gayl, however. "Will you get in here or go get a room?" she huffed at her leader. Nebula broke away from Tristan, thanked him for the wonderful and fun night, and entered her room with Dew. Tristan headed back to his room while licking his lips.

Jaune and Pyrrha got back to their room before Nora and Ren did, and both of them were extremely exhausted from dancing most of the night away, having to lean upon each other for support so they did not collapse in the halls. Pyrrha guided the dazed Jaune to her bed, where she placed her circlet on her nightstand and began taking her shoes off. "Jaune, I can't remember the last time I had _this_ much fun! Thank you so much!" she groggy told him before yawning.

Jaune swayed back and forth before Pyrrha's bed. "All that dancing…I'm just gonna…sleep…forever…" he mumbled before collapsing onto Pyrrha's bed and instantly falling asleep.

"Jaune…you can't sleep there…that's my bed…" she mumbled, sitting down next to him. "…Jaune, you're still in your…dress…" Pyrrha then collapsed onto the bed next to Jaune and instantly fell asleep. They both unconsciously twisted their bodies about to get comfortable and they cuddled up against one another, linking their arms into a jumbling mess and snuggling their heads next to each other's as light snoozes escaped Jaune. At that moment, Ren and Nora entered their room, and upon seeing Jaune and Pyrrha sleeping together, Nora smiled and gave a quiet gasp.

"Ren, look! Look look look!" she squealed, pointing at the two. Ren had her go change into her pajamas and warned her to be quiet about it, which she did, not wanting to ruin this perfect moment between her teammates. Ren quietly went to the dorm closet, where he pulled out a thick comforter and laid it over Jaune and Pyrrha, then went to change and headed to bed. "Good night, Ren," Nora whispered after the lights went out.

"Good night, Nora," Ren answered back. He soon heard Nora's snores and smiled to himself. He glanced over at Jaune and Pyrrha, who were still snuggled up to each other in bed and a comforting smile reached his face. "Good night, Jaune, Pyrrha." Then he rolled over and went to sleep.

In their room, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury was dressing for the night. "So, I'm curious as to why you didn't kill Rub Rose at the CCT tower tonight. She's supposed to be one of the new Paladins, like you said, so why not kill a target early?" Mercury asked Cinder after he finished changing. Cinder waited until she had thrown on her nightgown before answering.

"If I did kill her in that tower, it would've raised suspicion from both Ozpin and the Atlesian Military, and I'd rather we remain hidden until the time is right. Besides, it would be a shame to kill her so early before she has a taste of the horrors of this world." Cinder answered. "However, it would be more fitting if the Bhrathsling kills Ruby one day, like he did with her mother."

"Are you even sure Ruby is a Paladin? She seems too…innocent to be such a thing," Emerald inquired.

"Then she takes after her mother." Cinder scooped up Emerald's scroll and brought up Ruby's transcripts. "Yes, she is so much like Summer…" She grinned as she stared at Ruby's picture.

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 **October 16th 1580**

The next morning, Pyrrha awoke before Jaune did. She let out a soft yawn and blinked her eyes rapidly to wake up, and when she became coherent enough, she gave a small gasp upon realizing who was in bed with her, quickly leaping out of it and out of Jaune's entanglement, making him stir in his sleep.

"You two looked so cute while you were wrapped up in each other's arms," Nora called to her from her bed as she spun her legs back and forth while looking at her scroll. "I took a few pictures too."

"Nora, this was an accident. I didn't intend on…on sleeping with Jaune last night," Pyrrha hastily reasoned.

"Either way, you still looked adorable with him. He looked like a sleeping puppy next to you, the way he had his arms around you and your heads so close together. Pyrrha blushed a deep red from embarrassment.

"Nora, please don't tell Jaune about this?" she begged of her friend. Unbeknownst to Pyrrha behind her, Jaune stirred awake and was becoming conscious of what was occurring. He rubbed his eye, which Nora noticed, making her grin from ear to ear. "Tell Jaune about what, Pyr?" Nora cooed.

"That we sorta slept together last night." Jaune's eyes widened for a moment, but he quickly shut them, keeping them half-open so he could listen more. "We were exhausted, he fell asleep on my bed, and I was just so tired that I did the same. That's it."

"Are you sure there isn't more? I saw the way you kept looking at him last night, all dreamy-eyed and all. You like Jaune, and I mean like like. You want to be together together with him!" Pyrrha blushed again.

"No, it's not like that, really!"

"You like him! You want him to touch~ you, you want him to hug~ you, and you want him to kiss~ you," Nora teased, puckering her lips into a kiss face. "Admit it, Pyrrha, you love Jaune! Jaune and Pyrrha, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Under the comforter, Jaune buried his face into the pillow to hide his blushing face.

"Okay, okay, yes, it's true! Please stop before you wake Jaune up!" Pyrrha checked on Jaune, who was motionless in bed. "I admit it, I…I'm in love with Jaune…"

"Oooh, falling in love with your team leader, how risqué!"

"It's not like that. Jaune…He's such a nice guy to everyone, especially me, and yet he never holds me in high standing or thinks I'm super special or anything given my accomplishments. He's the first person to ever just see me as Pyrrha Nikos and not as the Invincible Girl, and even when he found out who I was, he didn't care."

"Aw, how sweet!"

Pyrrha giggled. "Yeah, it kinda is," she admitted, stealing another glance at Jaune. "He can be clumsy and goofy at times, but I like that about him. He was honest to me about his lack of skills and how he fabricated his transcripts, and he was quick to realize his mistakes and ask for my help not because I'm a star athlete, but because I'm his friend. Heh. How many times have I saved him on the battlefield, I don't know, but truth is, he saved me first." She glanced at Jaune and gave him a kind smile.

"You two would make such a cute couple," Nora cooed before skipping off. Pyrrha blushed for a moment, thinking it over, then headed for the dorm bathroom to shower. When she had gone, Jaune opened his eyes, but pulled the comforter tighter around him as Pyrrha's words echoed in his mind.

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 **October 18th 1580**

Over the next few days, everyone began winding down from prom night, but for Team RWBY, things only seemed to become more concerning ever since Ruby explained what happened at the CCT. Up in his office, Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, and Kyler via video chat were discussing what transpired the night of prom.

"Our enemies were here, and they are up to something!" Ironwood argued to everyone.

"Thank you for stating the obvious, James," Kyler noted, earning a growl from the general.

"Shut it, Kyler! Ozpin, we need to enact an investigation into this! We can't just ignore this while it dangles in front of our faces!"

"And what do you propose we do, pull out every student and citizen in Vale and interrogate every one of them?" Glynda sarcastically asked.

"No, of course not, but we still need to investigate this! Whoever attacked the CCT could've been a Dark Paladin!" Ironwood snapped. Just then, the elevator chimed and Ruby stepped inside.

"Sorry I'm late!" she proclaimed. "Somebody pressed all the buttons in the elevator…It wasn't me." This earned a chuckle from Ozpin and Kyler, but eye rolls from the others.

"How are you feeling, Ruby?" Ozpin asked of her.

"I'm okay, though I wish my bad guy catching record wasn't 0 for 3, you know?" she joked. Everyone was silent, but she earned a short laugh from Kyler.

"Ruby, I am proud of what you did, and what you did is exactly what being a Huntress is all about. You recognized a threat, you took action, and while you did not stop that woman, you put a stop to whatever she was attempting to do," Ironwood complimented her.

"Ruby, now that you've rested, do you have anything to add relating to the events that transpired the other night?" Ozpin inquired.

Glynda offered some suggestions. "Was this woman with anyone? Did she look familiar to you?"

"She was alone, from the looks of it, and I couldn't recognize her; she had a mask on, and she said nothing to me. I noticed that when she blocked my bullets, she did it with her bare hand, and her clothes lit up like fire. Also, and I don't know how she did it, but she even blocked my blade with her hands as well. She conjured fire from thin air and she used glass."

"Kyler, I have a feeling this was the same woman we encountered the night we met Ruby," Glynda noted.

"I have a very good feeling as well, and judging by the demonstration of her power, I'm beginning to suspect…I think she could be a Wytch," Kyler stated, shocking Ozpin and making Glynda fidget in place.

"Weren't the Wytches were wiped out long ago?" Ironwood interjected, but Glynda hushed him up, nodding towards Ruby, who looked confused about what Kyler said.

"Well, whoever this woman is, we must take all precautions and quickly discover what she is up to."

"Um, actually…when I walked in on her at the CCT, I overheard her mention something about a hideout southeast of Vale," Ruby lied.

"I thought you said she said nothing?" Glynda questioned.

"Thank you for this information, Ms. Rose. Now, why don't you go spend time with your team? You have a busy day ahead of you," Ozpin interjected, to which Ruby smiled and left them. "We must thank Ruby and her team for finding this information regarding our mystery Wytch." Ozpin strolled over back to his desk.

"So she is a Wytch. I thought they were all wiped out during the Great War?" Ironwood inquired.

"We thought so as well, but it seems another one escaped the genocide that day," Ozpin remarked before sipping from his mug. "We cannot take this lightly. If that woman is indeed a Wytch, then we need to prepare for the worst, but we must ensure that it remains covert so we don't cause a panic." Ozpin turned to Kyler's screen. "Kyler, how is your search for Qrow coming along?"

"I haven't found him yet, but I might have to start tracking him," he answered.

"Do it, and be swift about it. If you find Qrow, I want you two to return to Beacon as soon as possible." Kyler nodded and the video feed ended.

"Ozpin, I can send troops out combing the southeast outside of the Kingdom for this hideout, and they can eradicate any forces they encounter," Ironwood proclaimed.

"Must you answer every problem with a display of your military bravado? You can't just march Atlesian soldiers across the Kingdom of Vale based on a girl's word!" Glynda argued.

"I would love more than anything to end this never-ending war, and before the new generation of Paladins must rise to defend the world themselves, but we must remember that this could extend beyond Vale and Beacon. All we know is that Sheena is planning something big for the next generation, and we know nothing of that plan; if we just charge in blindly, we could be playing into her hands. We cannot risk being so bold, nor risk causing a panic."

"Ozpin, I have served you for years and I have trusted your judgement in the past, but if your plan is to hold the defenses and wait—!"

"IT IS NOT!" Ozpin barked, jumping from his chair. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "James, you are a general. When you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearer or the scouts?" Ironwood let out a sigh and decided to take his leave.

"Are you positive this woman could be a Wytch?" Glynda asked Ozpin once James was gone.

"I wish I was wrong for once, but it's possible," he answered. Glynda went silent for a moment.

"If there is another Wytch in this world, do you think Sheena will try to get to me?" Her voice turned soft and scared. Ozpin gave her a concerned glance before going to her and embracing her in a comforting hug.

"She won't hurt you, I will make sure of that," he whispered to her. "You are nothing like this Wytch or any of the others."

"But I'm…" Glynda started before Ozpin put a finger to her lips with a hush.

"Do you remember what I said to you while you were growing up? I always told you that who you are born as does not define your life, but it's what you do and the decisions you make that defines it. You wanted to be different from your kind, and thus you asked to be named Goodwitch, remember?"

"Of course I remember, but I was a child then. I had no clear understanding of who I really was then."

"But you do now, and while you know of the destiny your people had, you defied both that destiny and Sheena. You took the powers she gave you upon birth and you use them to protect people and fight the Grimm. You are a good Wytch, Glynda, and I'm proud of you."

Glynda sniffled a little as a few tears ran down her cheeks. Ozpin wiped at her cheeks and gave her a comforting smile, which she returned. "You are such a peculiar man, Oz." The two closed together in a loving kiss for a brief moment before breaking apart.

"Come, let's us have some coffee for a moment before we go to distribute the Huntsmen shadowing missions." He poured a mug of coffee and handed it to her, which she accepted.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In their dorm room, Ruby repeated everything Ozpin and Ironwood told her. "You think I made the right call slipping the info about the southeast?" Ruby asked her teammates when she finished.

"Well, they needed to know at some point, so I think you made the right decision," Blake told her.

"What do you think Mister Wolf and General Ironwood meant by that woman being a Wytch though? From the sound of it, it seemed rather important," Ruby asked everyone.

"I don't know, but from what you said, it seemed Ozpin and Glynda seemed most worried about it." Weiss pointed out.

"Look, we got the information to Ozpin, so let's let him handle things from here on, okay?" Yang suggested. At that moment, there was a knock at the door. When Yang answered, her father, Taiyang was there with a box and their dog Zwei perched onto his shoulder. "Hi, Dad!" Ruby came rushing over when she saw her father and leapt into his arms, followed by Yang, resulting in a big family hug. Zwei leapt from Taiyang's shoulder and trotted over to Weiss, who awed at how adorable he looked and scooped him up while Blake leapt up onto Yang's bed and peered at the dog from the edge.

"It seems you girls are having a good time at Beacon so far," Taiyang chuckled. "Anyway, I'm here to drop off Zwei with you girls while I'm away on a mission. Here's some food for him and a few of his toys, and he can sleep with you girls at night." He gave his daughters two big dad hugs and headed off, leaving the corgi with them. Ruby and Yang went through the box, setting up Zwei's belongings while the pup pawed at Blake's bed, gazing up at her with his beady eyes.

"Will all first-year students please report to the amphitheater?" came Glynda's voice over the intercom system. Everyone except for Ruby headed off while she stayed to make sure Zwei was comfortable, but instead, she stuffed him into a Beacon Academy backpack and slung it onto her and followed after her team. They met with Teams JNPR and LOST in the amphitheater and gathered together, where Ozpin and Glynda stood on stage. Once everyone had finished gathering together, Ozpin began.

"Today, we stand together, united…Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, and Vale…the four kingdoms of Remnant," he proclaimed, surveying all the students before him. "On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end. It was a war of ignorance, greed, and of oppression. A war where our enemies were not just the Grimm, but ourselves. A war that was about much more than where borders fell, who traded with who, but about the very idea individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons, but among them, the form of art, self-expression, and history was the one we fought for the most, for our enemies sought to destroy all that, and they nearly succeeded, having destroyed much of our world's history and valuable art. You are all aware that that alone was something that no one could stand for, and thus took up arms against them. After many years of fighting among ourselves while battling the Grimm that began to resurface after their defeat so long ago, the fighting soon came to an end, and peace was achieved at last, and as a result of the peace treaty, those who opposed that tyranny of so long ago began naming their children after the core aspect of art itself: color. It was their way to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to abide by this evil, but so will the future generations to come, and this trend continues to this very day. We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity through diversity.

"As I said before, we stand here today united, but this bond cannot exist without effort, which is why today, while the world celebrates peace, Huntsmen and Huntresses will work to upload it, as they have done for the previous eighty years since their formation. As first year students, you all will be tasked with shadowing a professional Huntsman or Huntress on a mission. Some of you may be taken outside of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. And some of you will be chosen to escort families, traveling bands, and other travelers from the kingdom-controlled towns to the city itself, behind the walls where it's safest. However, no matter what path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin left the stage with applause following him.

Team RWBY snuck off away from their friends once everyone began to scatter. "Okay, so we just gotta shadow a Huntsman working in the southeast, and we can work to find that White Fang hideout!" Ruby explained to her teammates with a squeal of excitement.

"Search and Destroy would make for a perfect cover for our plan," Weiss suggested as the four of them headed to a mission terminal. "Look, quadrant 5 needs some Grimm clearing out."

"It is in the southeast, after all, so that's our best chance," Blake noted as she read the mission's information.

"And look, quadrant 5 is located near…Mountain…Glenn…" Yang started before her voice suddenly died out. She suddenly remembered that Mountain Glenn was the last place her mother Summer was sent to where she never returned.

"Yang, you alright?" Ruby asked her sister, forcing her to snap awake. Yang assured her she was fine and Ruby selected the mission and entered her team's name, only for the screen to flash red and access to the mission was denied. "What? What's wrong with this thing?"

"Well, I had that mission locked off as the current concentration of Grimm in that area is too extreme for first year students," Ozpin answered as he strolled over to them. "Although, it seems that particular region has grown quite popular, especially with you four, and I have a suspicion that you four would head to that region no matter what." He gave them all a cunning grin. "You know, I'm still quite curious as to how you four as well as Team LOST found yourselves at the docks lass semester, and how you four discovered this secret 'hideout in the southeast…" Ruby gave the old headmaster a nervous smile. "…I guess I'll never really find the answers I'm looking for. So, how about instead of waiting for you four to break the rules, how about we bend them, just a little bit?" Ozpin tapped on his scroll and the mission became available for Team RWBY, which excited Ruby.

"Thank you, sir. We won't let you down," Ruby declared, making Ozpin smile.

"Just remember that while teamwork and persistence have carried you this far, the things outside the kingdom's protection will not care who you are, so stick close to your Huntsman and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can send you back here to Beacon should he find your skills to be unsatisfactory, so do not disappoint him." Ozpin headed off.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Team JNPR were at a terminal deciding over which mission to take, from working on the walls, clearing out an area of Grimm outside the kingdom, or defending a small town within the kingdom's protection area. Jaune voted that the town seemed like the best option and selected it. The mission's information was sent to JNPR's scrolls. "Okay, so we'll be heading out tomorrow morning at ten o' clock to the mining town of Début in the south where we will be staying for a week to watch over the town and defend it from any Grimm attacks, as well as patrol the area surrounding it for any Grimm nests. They will be providing us with rooms and food for the week, and our Huntress is…" Pyrrha gave a small gasp when she read the Huntress' name. "…Our shadowing Huntress is Pandora Nikos…" Jaune finished, where everyone turned to stare at Pyrrha, who was glaring down at her scroll while her cheeks were beet red.

"Pyrrha, I didn't know your mom is a Huntress," Ren remarked.

"I think it's super cool! Just think, mother and daughter Huntresses! " Nora whooped, making Pyrrha chuckle.

"You must hold a lot of respect for her, and I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," Jaune added. Pyrrha nodded at him and the four headed off to prepare for the trip tomorrow.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Team LOST was at a terminal where the four members were huddled around the screen gazing at the different missions. "I think this one sounds like a good idea," Senna noted, pointing to an escort mission. Olivia shook her off.

"Nah, escorts are fine and all, but you always get annoying dirtbags who like to brood you for everything. Besides, it's better we leave something like for a mercenary group," she told her.

"Geez, you're not a merc anymore, Olivia. Just let them handle themselves and stay out of that silly life," Tristan remarked, to which Olivia grabbed at one of his wolf ears and tugged hard, making him cry a little.

"How about you hush up, Trist, and don't badmouth mercenaries; they deserve the same respect and rewards the Huntsmen get."

Senna dragged the two apart and ordered them to stop their foolishness. "Okay, I've decided on our mission," Lucas proclaimed as their scrolls buzzed with the mission's information. "Well, we're going to the northeast, where a Class B Grimm, a Tsuchigumo, has been spotted recently, and we need to go kill it and our shadowing Huntress is Judith Draconem," Lucas read off. "We best prepare for the journey since we'll be out in the wilds for days."

"I'll bring extra guns then," Olivia added with a chuckle. Nearby, she spotted Reese with her team and gave her a wave; Reese answered back with a wave as well and alerted Arslan of them. Olivia in turn pulled on Lucas' sleeve to get his attention, and when he was looking, Arslan blew him a kiss, making him swallow hard and look away with red in his dark cheeks, making Olivia and Tristan laugh.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Later that day, Team JNPR had had their gear for the week packed, from clothes, ammunition, supples, and what not, and went out to the courtyard where they were to meet with Pandora Nikos to discuss the mission in greater detail. They waited on a bench together patiently, though Pyrrha was rather fidgety instead. "You okay, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked her. "Aren't you happy to see your mother?"

"Yes, of course I am, but it's just that things between us are kinda…stiff," she answered.

"How so?" Ren inquired.

"My mother has been a Huntress all her life, choosing to protect humanity from the Grimm and criminals, and she expected me to follow in her footsteps as well, which I wanted, but my mother had a high standard for me, and she constantly wants me to impress her."

"Well, at least you impress your family. My parents had no faith in me when I left for Beacon, only telling me that should I ever need to come home, that they are perfectly fine with it…" Jaune retorted back, earning a series of concern from his teammates.

"At least you two have family who love you," Ren started. "For Nora and I, we've been orphans since we were kids, and the only people who ever cared for us only wanted to use us…" Nora scooted in under Ren's arm and hugged him. Jaune and Pyrrha followed suit and gave them both big hugs.

"You have us though. We're your family, and we will always be there for you two," Pyrrha whispered to them. The four of them stayed in their team hug for a while until someone interrupted them.

"Am I intruding upon something here?" said a voice, one that Pyrrha quickly recognized. Looking up, Team JNPR were greeted by a tall, lean, and muscular woman with vivid green eyes and fiery red hair tied back into a ponytail, dressed in a skintight black shirt with a cyan combat jacket over it and skintight black pants with cyan cargo shorts over them. She had on black gloves and her jacket and shorts were lined with steel armor plates; the ones on her shorts served as holsters. There was a long combat knife tucked onto her black leather belt and a magnum pistol on her right hip, and a battle rifle and a large sledgehammer on her back.

"Hello, mother," greeted Pyrrha. She got up and gave Pandora a hug, which her mother accepted.

"It seems that you are doing well and I am pleased to see you are doing well academically, but how are you faring on the battlefield?" Pandora asked.

"I am still top of the class, as always."

"Very good." Pandora moved past Pyrrha and went before Jaune. "And you are Jaune Arc. Pyrrha speaks highly of you in her messages to home." She quickly noticed his puzzling look. "She speaks highly of you, and most recently, she spoke of how you wore a dress to a recent prom due to a promise you jokingly made with her. Impressive." Pandora moved onto Nora before Jaune could add anything to what she said about him. "Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha spoke lots about you and your…hyperactivity, but she also mentioned how powerful you are in combat. Hopefully I will see a demonstration of that power during the mission." Nora flashed her a kind smile before Pandora moved onto Ren. "Lie Ren, Pyrrha has told me a bit about you and your finesse in combat. You shall make for a valuable ally in the mission ahead." Pandora moved before the four of them. "We shall leave for Début tomorrow morning to defend the town from any incoming Grimm. Prepare yourselves for the week ahead. You four are dismissed." Pandora walked off before any of them, Pyrrha especially, could ask anything from Pandora.

"Well, your mom is an interesting woman," Ren noted.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Team LOST met with Judith Draconem, who was dressed in a black vest hoodie, short ash grey shorts, and long black combat boots. Her left arm was wrapped in bandages, and on her right hip was a coiled up metal whip. She gazed upon the team with her golden eyes and brushed her fiery orange hair out of them to see them better. She discussed with them the nature of their mission and ordered them to properly prepare for it, either with weapons, supplies, or research into the Tsuchigomu, then dismissed them.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Team RWBY packed and met with their shadowing Huntsman, who happened to be their professor, Bartholomew Oobleck. "Hello, girls! Who's ready to risk their lives?" he proclaimed, to which all four girls gave uneasy looks. "You won't be needing the gear you brought with you, for I have packed the essentials that we will be requiring for this reconnaissance mission. We will not be establishing a base of operations, instead we shall be traversing across miles of hazardous wilderness while eliminating any Grimm that crosses our path. I have everything packed, I have our airship course charted and ready to leave, and finally, it's 'Doctor Oobleck'. I didn't earn my PhD for fun, you know! Now, we're already three minutes behind schedule, so let's head off!" He zoomed off for the bullhead while Team RWBY followed behind him.

"So we're going to be saving the world with Dr Oobleck by our side. Gods, it sounds worse like that," Blake remarked.

"So, what sort of doctor are you?" Weiss asked Oobleck after they took off.

"I'm an archeologist, and I've dabbled in the field of history a number of times, and history is extremely important for our society. How would we not know how our world was formed without history? How would you learn from the past's mistakes if there was no history? After all, that's what our enemies from the Great War intended to do."

Once they arrived at Mountain Glenn, the ruined city expansion of Vale, they went to work unloading the supplies Oobleck brought along. Ruby set her pack containing Zwei down and went to help, where the little corgi leapt out of the bag and wandered off somewhere. Once they finished, Ruby checked her bag and was surprised to find Zwei gone and began searching around nearby for him. "Ruby, is something the matter?" Oobleck called to her.

"It's just…um…I…" Oobleck threw up his hand and hushed everyone up.

"Nobody move! I hear something!" Oobleck tiptoed close to an abandoned building. "It's close! Small, but sounds deadly!" Whatever it was, it was scuffling towards them from within. "Whatever you're planning, forget it!" Oobleck called out. "We're Huntsmen! We are trained by the best to be the best! We are the upcoming storm, the destroyers of darkness!" The scuffling continued until the creature emerged from the darkness, which turned out to be Zwei. The dog looked up at Oobleck and gave him a happy bark. "And basically, you're just a dog."

Ruby went over and scooped Zwei up. "There you are, boy."

"Ruby, you brought a dog with you on a dangerous, out-of-the-kingdom mission set in an urban jungle that's teaming death and hostility?" Oobleck questioned. Ruby stuttered out an answer until Oobleck cheered and scooped Zwei into his arms. "Brilliant decision, Ruby! Canines are well known for their extraordinary sense of smell and hearing, making them ideal companions for missions!"

The team investigated the ruins of Mountain Glenn for the remainder of the day, eliminating any Grimm they came across until night fell, where they retreated to the top floor of a small building to rest by a fire they built for the night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Back at Beacon, Ironwood was standing at the edge of Beacon, staring out longingly at the city of Vale. Glynda came up behind him. "Couldn't sleep?" she asked him.

"My arm was acting up, as usual," he answered.

"So you dressed up and came down here to stare at the city?"

Ironwood let out a sigh. "It's just…I've trusted Ozpin for many years, ever since I was made general, and I feel as though he's keeping secrets from us both. Secrets that he should tell us so we can help him. I understand that Ozpin has a lot on his shoulders, him being who he is, but he shouldn't keep us in the dark."

"We're not the only ones in the dark, you know."

"And that makes it worse! Kyler warned us that that woman that attacked the CCT was a Wytch, and yet Ozpin is acting so passive about it!"

"You're a good person, James. You've always done what's best for the people, even against strong protest. However, you need to stop talking about trust and start showing it. Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack, so he knows what he is doing.

"Same goes for Kyler," Ironwood reminded her. "Kyler and I have different experiences, and we share different views on how we resolve our own conflicts, but I just wish he would trust me sometimes." Ironwood turned and headed back to Beacon.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Back at Mountain Glenn, Ruby was awakened by Zwei, who rushed outside their temporary home and out onto the street, forcing Ruby to follow after him, leaving her sleeping teammates behind. Outside, she found Zwei urinating onto a broken support beam and went over to him, waiting for him to finish up. Once he had, she scooped him up, but then she heard something.

"I really hate it out here. It's so dreary and full of Grimm," said a voice. Ruby crept over towards the source and saw two White Fang thugs armed with rifles. "Let's just finish our patrol and head back to base." The two turned and walked off. Ruby spotted two worn-out cardboard boxes and took them, placing the smallest of them over Zwei and the other over herself. "Follow me and keep still when I do," Ruby instructed her dog, answered with a shake of the boxed-covered Zwei. The two snuck out after the thugs, and anytime the thugs looked anywhere near their direction, they froze to the spot, lowering themselves to the ground to hide their feet.

"Hey, were those boxes there before?" one thug asked the other when he noticed Ruby and Zwei. His buddy glanced back at the boxes while he trained his rifle on them. "Relax, it's just a couple of boxes," his buddy told him. The two continued on and disappeared into a small building.

"Okay, let's go, Zwei," Ruby declared, throwing her box off of herself and taking Zwei's off. Ruby went ahead towards the building. She went inside the entrance, and that was when the two thugs tackled her, subdued her, and dragged her to their underground base, located behind a door leading to a staircase. "Dumb girl thought we were too stupid to not notice a couple of moving boxes. C'mon, let's take her down underground to the boss," scoffed one of the thugs as they carried Ruby down. Zwei, sensing that his master was in danger, rushed back to the others to alert them.

Down below ground, Ruby was lead through a small ruined city similar to Mountain Glenn's. Once they reached the train station, Ruby found a small army of White Fang thugs all packing strange devices onto a train using Atlesian Paladin prototypes. "Hey, be careful with that, or you'll kill us all!" yelled one thug at another as they stood around one device. Nearby, Neo was sitting upon the top of a train car, and upon seeing Ruby, she gave her a smiling wave. In an open train car, White Fang Lieutenant Jaakuna was pushing one device into the center of the car.

"Hey boss, we got something you might want to see!" one of Ruby's captors called out towards the front train car.

"Is it good or bad, Perry, because let me tell you, I have had a rough day," answered the familiar voice of Roman Torchwick.

"Um, it's a girl we found snooping around above ground," Perry told him.

"A girl?…Tell me, is she wearing a red hood and has silver eyes?"

"Um, yeah. Is that bad?"

Roman stuck his head out and confirmed that it was indeed Ruby. "That is bad. Leave her with me, I'll take care of her." Perry and his partner left. Roman hopped down from the train car and went to Ruby, where he plucked her weapon off of her and looked upon it. "Hey, that's mine!" Ruby yelled at her.

"You know, I'm starting to get real tired of you always showing up whenever I'm doing evil things. Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if you have a thing for me, Little Red." Roman gave her a smirk, which made Ruby stick her tongue at him in response.

"As if! Like I could like a guy who can't even use eyeliner on both his eyes!" she taunted.

"Hey, my hair is always in my other eye, so there's no point to lining it!" he argued. Ruby began to chuckle that she got Roman upset over his fashion sense. "Very funny, but listen up, kid, you're on your own down here. No one is coming to save you, and you've got no way to protect yourself, so if I were you, I'd be a lot nicer to your captor, who wouldn't mind killing you if you annoy him too much." Roman turned and headed back into the train car, leaving Ruby alone with Neo, who was watching her from atop the car.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Up above, the rest of Team RWBY and Oobleck followed after Zwei, who lead them to where Ruby was attacked. "Okay, tell us what happened, Zwei boy!" Oobleck demanded from Zwei, who began barking to him. "Uh huh…I see…Strange, the cardboard box trick always worked for me and my friend Snake back in the day…"

"Is Oobleck talking to Zwei…and understanding him?" Blake questioned. Yang shrugged her shoulders.

"…I see…And they took her underground? Of course! It makes perfect sense now! Oobleck exclaimed.

"Doctor Oobleck, what is it?" Yang asked.

"Mountain Glenn was originally an expansion of Vale that was inevitably destroyed by the Grimm! It was previously home to thousands of people, working people that would commune to the main city through a subway system that they built to reach Vale! Due to the increasing numbers of Grimm that attacked, the citizens chose a desperate action: to go underground and create a small village there and live in the metro tunnels!" He hastily explained to all of them, Zwei included.

"What are you saying?" Weiss inquired.

"Our hidden, underground criminal network is literally underground, hiding in the one place no one wanted to go back to! Mountain Glenn!" Oobleck retrieved his thermos, Hot Coffee, and pressed a button, where it extended out a handle bar and the thermos extended itself, and the cap opened revealing a gaping hole inside. "We're going underground and we are going to find Ruby." He lead them into the building, and after a little searching around, they found a hidden door that lead to a downward staircase.

"So what happened to this small underground town after everyone evacuated below ground?" Yang asked Oobleck as everyone descended down the long and winding staircase.

"During one of the many expansions of the tunnels, an explosion opened up a cavern of Grimm, which quickly overran the town. Huntsmen and Atlesian Military were quickly summoned to Mountain Glenn upon receiving a transmission from a Huntress stationed there, and they blew open a hole in the ground to airlift civilians out. Not many made it, and the Huntsmen stationed there were killed in their attempt to rescue the civilians, and after that, a decision was made to seal off all the tunnels and turn the underground city into a tomb." Oobleck had them hush up when they came to the end of the staircase, then they headed out into the dead city, hoping to find Ruby and quickly.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

At the train station, Roman was entertaining himself by allowing Ruby to try attacking him, but without her weapon, Ruby's punches were widely telegraphed and often made contact with nothing but air as Roman simply sidestepped each punch. "Without your oversized gardening tool, you're not much of a threat," Roman teased as he went down onto her and held her chin in his hand. "So, how did you find us, Red? You obviously didn't happen upon us by accident?" Ruby's answer was to dash off using her Speed Semblance. Roman smirked and fired the handle of his cane at Ruby, which ensnared her by the neck and knocking her down, allowing Roman to retract the handle through its grappling cord and back in place. "Still a dashing bit of rose petals, I see, but we're not done here yet." At that moment, a loud explosion made the entire place shudder, causing dust and small rubble to fall. Nearby, a cloud of dust and smoke emerged from a building down the tracks. "Perry, go take care of that, whatever it is." Perry nodded and ordered some thugs to follow him, but they froze in their tracks when they spotted more White Fang thugs running towards them screaming and firing their guns behind them. Team RWBY, Oobleck, and Zwei appeared and blasted the thugs aside. Ruby leapt onto Roman's head and tugged his bowler hat down, blinding him and allowing her to escape and return to her team. Ruby notified everyone that the train was full of weapons and mechs, but then the train began moving and heading to the northwest direction, towards Vale.

Everyone leapt onto the top of the last train car and began making their way across. Several WF thugs emerged from within and fired onto them, but the Huntsmen and corgi made short work of them. "I saw them loading strange things onto each of the cars, so let's look for them!" Ruby notified everyone as the end car was suddenly detached and left behind. Everyone watched as it exploded, shattering the cavern walls with debris and holes. "What was that?!"

Oobleck checked within the train car they were atop of and found one of the weird objects Ruby mentioned, which she confirmed. "It's a bomb!" Oobleck warned. The bomb starting beeping red, ready to explode, forcing everyone to move forward to the next one. When this one exploded, Oobleck noticed a number of Grimm emerge from the cavern walls and follow after the train. "That's it! They intend to build up a herd of Grimm from the caverns and lead them straight to Vale!" he warned everyone. "Get to the front of the train and stop it immediately!" everyone but Ruby went ahead, ducking down into a train car as a few Atlesian Paladin prototypes moved towards Ruby, Oobleck, and Zwei. Ruby dashed ahead with her Speed and attacked the first Paladin while Zwei looked up at the doctor and gave him a questionable bark. "Don't worry, little fellow, I won't let anything happen to you, and I know you will keep me safe as well." Oobleck drew Hot Coffee and activated the flamethrower, making a small ember emerge from the nozzle. "Now, let's see what a simple dog like you can do with Draíochta, little Guardian." Zwei gave a determined howl. Oobleck ignited Zwei on fire—who was absolutely unharmed by the flames—then smacked him towards the Paladin, where Zwei went flying at incredible speed and smacked directly into the Paladin, suffering no damage and sending the mech down onto the tracks. "Impressive! I can see why you were entrusted to protect Ruby and Yang all these years!" Oobleck told Zwei before they focused on the remaining Paladins.

Down in the car, team RWBY headed forward, but were suddenly cut off by the appearance of Neo, who gave them all a devilish smirk with her umbrella in hand. "I'll take care of this one, you girls go on ahead," Yang told everyone as she cocked Ember Celica. Everyone dashed forward as Yang fired a shot at Neo, forcing her to dodge it and allowing the girls to zoom past her and into the next car. Yang walked up to Neo and the two stared at each other, Yang with a mean glare and Neo with another devilish smirk. Yang was the first to react with a punch towards Neo's face, but her fist was deflected by the deploying of Neo's parasol. Neo jumped back a bit and gave Yang a coy grin. "You're a weird one." Yang ran forward, swinging her fists at Neo, who ducked and dodged under each swipe like a graceful ballerina. Neo retaliated with a upward kick to Yang's face before she backflipped away and landed on a crate, where she deployed her parasol and crossed her legs with a smile, taunting her, and it only made Yang angrier. Yang fired off a shell at Neo in response, which she rolled off to the side to dodge as the blast blew apart a set of crates. Neo jumped back up and lashed at Yang with a kick, which Yang blocked by grabbing Neo's boot and dragging her closer, but Noe simply ducked under her and struck her feet outward, hitting Yang twice and performing a spinning kick, striking Yang even more. Neo jumped back up and struck Yang with her parasol; Yang tried hitting Neo at least once, but the mute girl merely swept around Yang, grabbed her, and threw her towards the ceiling with ease, where she collided and dented against the car roof and fell back down to the floor unconscious. Neo drew a thin sword from her parasol's shaft and aimed for Yang's heart, but then she heard a sound. Across the train car, a mysterious woman clad in red and black wearing a full-face was with a Grimm-like appearance appeared with a long odachi clad in red steel, and at her hip, a scabbard with a cylinder chamber containing various dust blades. The woman glared at Neo through her mask, staring her down with blood red eyes. Neo stiffened up and formed a stance to fight the woman, but she then gave a small gasp when the woman lifted her sleeve, revealing a tattoo depicting a black hourglass. Seeing this, Neo turned and jumped away, where she disappeared into thin air with a flash.

The woman sheathed her blade and went to Yang, where she placed two fingers upon her and confirmed that she still had a pulse. The woman removed her mask, revealing herself as Raven Branwen, Yang's mother. She placed her hands together and they began to glow black, then she applied them to Yang's stomach, making her moan a little, and then drew away. Raven brushed a couple fingers against Yang's cheek, making her stir, then stood up, replacing her mask back onto her face and drawing her odachi. She gave it a flick at the air, and a portal of red and black energy materialized and she stepped through it and disappeared, just as Yang came to, seeing Raven's backside for a brief second before her disappearance. Yang pulled herself off the floor and headed towards the head of the train, noticing that her body felt energized for some reason.

While Yang was fighting Neo, Weiss and Blake ran through a few more train cars, and in one, they encountered White Fang Lieutenant Jaakuna with a chainsaw blade, which he dragged behind him, scrapping across the floor. Weiss ordered Blake to go ahead, and the heiress struck at Jaakuna to distract him from Blake. Jaakuna quickly recovered just as Blake went into the next car and lifted his chainsaw blade up into his hands. "Heh heh, looks like I get to kill a Schnee. I have yet to add one to my list," Jaakuna muttered with malice in his voice. Weiss, unfazed dashed forward with a Glyph and struck his body several times before leaping back, where she primed red dust into her blade. Jaakuna swung his chainsaw at her, where Weiss deflected it, leaving a trail of fire around her, then she activated another Glyph, one to enhance her speed, and she conjured many normal Glyphs around Jaakuna before dashing and striking at him, bouncing off each Glyph in rapid succession, striking him more and more. On the last Glyph, she struck his mask, leaving a long crack in it and came to a sudden stop. "Gotta, princess!" Jaakuna purred behind her, grabbing her shoulder and throwing her to the floor, shattering metal everywhere. Jaakuna then lifted Weiss into the air and grabbed at her throat, slowly choking her with her unable to break free. Weiss suddenly flailed one of her legs out and struck Jaakuna in his face, making him stumble and letting go of her.

Weiss stumbled backwards and grabbed Myrtenaster and poised for battle. Jaakuna clutched at his face and pulled his hands away, which now held the shattered remains of his mask. When he looked up, Weiss gasped, for she recognized him; it was Yatsuhashi Daichi of Team CFVY. "Yatsuhashi? How can…" Weiss spat out, unable to form complete words. Jaakuna said nothing but gave her an evil grin before retrieving his chainsaw and heading towards Weiss.

At the head of the train, Blake had Roman Torchwick on the floor with her blade at his neck, ready to take him down when Jaakuna entered the train car with Weiss in his hand, where he tossed her near Blake and headed towards them both with his chainsaw raised. "So, whatcha gonna do, Blake? Stop the train or save your friend?" Roman questioned her with a chuckle, which she silenced by knocking him out. She dashed to Weiss and sped off with her and went atop the train, where she regrouped with the rest of the team who was there as the train neared the end of the stop, heading straight for a concrete wall. "I've got an idea!" Weiss exclaimed, having her team gather around her where she activated ice dust from her rapier, which enshrouded them in an icy dome shield. When the train hit, it sent all the cars in a massive crash killing and injuring many aboard it. The ice dorm containing team RWBY was flown straight into the air and through a hole in the ceiling, sending them flying straight into the main square of daytime Vale. The dome shattered upon impact in the square, sending the rattled, but alive members of RWBY onto the ground. Civilians gathered at the square to inquire what had happened, and that's when the Grimm that was following the train burst from underground and began attacking. Team RWBY jumped up and prepared to fight as Grimm surrounded them.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Teams JNPR and LOST were heading out of Beacon with their shadowing Huntresses, ready for their week-long mission with their gear on their shoulders. "Do you think you have enough weapons?" Lucas asked Olivia, who had a bag of guns and ammo along with her pack.

"I like to be prepared for any situation," Olivia replied.

"So, you guys are going out to hunt down a Tsuchigomu Grimm, huh? Sounds like a tough Grimm to beat." Jaune asked LOST.

"I think we will be fine," Tristan told him. "We've studied the Tsuchigomu in the Grimm Monster Manual last night, as taught by our lovely Senna, and we've devised a few strategies to fight it."

"I brought my bomb to blow it up," Olivia chirped, fishing out her globe bomb.

"Please keep that packed away," Senna warned, biting her lip at the fear of it going off.

"Well, we're going to be defending a small mining town for a week, plus, we got Pyrrha's mom shadowing us." Jaune pointed to Pandora, who gave LOST a wave.

"Wow, Pyrrha, your mom is hot," Tristan woofed, earning a roll of the eyes from Pandora and a disgusted look from Pyrrha. "Speaking of hot, how are you and Arslan getting along, Lucas?" Tristan bit his lip and grinned, excited to hear more.

"We are doing fine," Lucas simply answered.

"Reese and I are getting along pretty well, Olivia interjected.

"Nebula and I are planning a date when our missions are over," Tristan told everyone.

"Aren't you two taking things a bit too quickly?" Senna asked him.

"Says the girl without a boyfriend," Senna poked him in the butt, giving him an electric jolt, making him howl while Olivia and Nora laughed.

Suddenly, air sirens went off in Vale, and smoke began rising above the buildings. "That is definitely not a good sign," Olivia noted as she dropped her pack and fished out two CPW submachine guns and a M319N IGL and slung them onto her with her Happiness is a Warm Olive set before slinging her gun pack back on.

Pandora quickly recognized that the city was in danger. "We need to…"

"Change of mission, everyone! We're going into Vale!" Jaune declared to everyone and ordered them onto JNPR's bullhead and followed them in. Pandora smiled at his choice of response and followed him onto the bullhead. Nearby, Team CFVY heard the sirens and headed onto a bullhead and it followed after the other. On the airship platform, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury watched the city.

"They're not supposed to attack for another few days, what should we do?" Emerald asked her mistress. Cinder stared out at the city with a cold glare, but then a smile emerged. "We go and defend Vale, what else?" she remarked before the three boarded a bullhead and headed into the city.

Out in Vale, RWBY had already began their assault on the Grimm just as Teams JNPR, LOST, CFVY, SSSN, and others arrived to assist. Ruby dashed in between many Grimm, slicing them to pieces with Crescent Rose. Weiss streaked across the ground with Myrtenaster, attacking Grimm with her dust and stabbing them with rapid jabs. Blake shot down Grimm with Gambol Shroud's gun and entrapping them with its cord, allowing her strafe around them and strike them down. Yang charged various Grimm head on, smashing them into the ground with shotgun punches.

For JNPR, Jaune found himself facing against a large Ursa, which was quick to attack him. He raised his shield from flinching and the Ursa struck it with its claw, but Jaune found himself still standing. He looked up and saw a white dome surrounding the front of his shield, holding the Ursa back. Jaune forced the Ursa back a bit and lunged his sword directly into its face, killing it instantly. Unbeknownst to Jaune, the tattoo on his hand was glowing while the shield barrier was active, and now it had ceased. Nearby, Nora smashed up Grimm with Magnhild, then leapt atop a Ursa and rode it around, firing grenade shells at nearby Grimm. Pyrrha expertly slashed and shot down any Grimm that came her way and beside her, Pandora demonstrated her expert marksmanship with her battle rifle and magnum pistol. Ren ducked under the swipe of a Stage 3 Beowolf and slide under his legs, where he let loose with Stormflower onto it.

Lucas of LOST, upon landing, drew Fida'an and fired shells at a few Ursai, taking them down. A Beowolf drew near and he switched his gun to its machete form, dodged a claw swipe from it, and ran his machete into its neck. Olivia drew her CPWs and dual fired onto a couple charging Beowolves, then switched to Eclipse and took down a few more. Senna fired off bolts of lightning at a few Grimm. Tristan merged Dank Steel Shootah together and fired off a volley of aura arrows onto Grimm and sliced them up up close.

Team CFVY was faring well against their swarm of Grimm, with Coco ripping and tearing any Grimm that entered her gatling gun's path, Fox slicing down and punching a few Beowolves, Velvet kicking down any Grimm near her, and Yatsuhashi cleaved through any Grimm, big and small, that dared to challenge him. Team SSSN took a number of Grimm together, Team ABRN laid waste to many Grimm, Team NDGO took down their fair share as well, and so did everyone else.

"Hey, Tristan, how many have you killed? I'm on thirteen!" Olivia called to her teammate as she shot down a Stage 2 Beowolf.

"Sixteen for me!" he answered before driving one of his twin blades into a Stage 1 Nevermore. "Seventeen now!" Olivia grew pouty and tossed a dust grenade at a group of Grimm, killing four in a fiery explosion. "Now we're even!" Olivia shouted.

"Will you two quit your stupid completion?!" Senna ordered before slicing off the head of an Ursa.

Elsewhere, where no one was around, Neo appeared out of thin air with an unconscious Roman in her arms. Emerald and Mercury soon found her. "We're gonna have to take him off your hands," Emerald told her as Mercury scooped Roman into his arms. "You best head to Beacon while we take care of things here." Neo gave them a frown, but obeyed and disappeared.

Oobleck soon emerged from the hole in the ground piloting an Atlesian Paladin prototype with Zwei on its shoulder. The two began attacking Grimm together and the swarms began dwindling.

When it was all over and Glynda had repaired the square and destroyed buildings with her telekinesis, everyone rejoiced and celebrated while Roman was escorted onto an Atlesian bullhead for imprisonment.

At the end of the day, Team RWBY was awarded full marks by Oobleck for an excellent job well done. Teams JNPR and LOST's missions were delayed until the next day so they could recover from the attack as well.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Up atop a building, Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, and Adam Taurus were together. "I believe today was a success, despite Team RWBY interfering with our plans," Cinder purred with delight.

"They did ruin everything and became a pain in our butts though," Mercury noted. "And considering all the Faunus that got trapped in the tunnels, I doubt the White Fang will listen to us again."

"No, they won't, but as their leader, they will listen to me," stated Adam. "Are you positive your plan will succeed?" he asked Cinder.

"Trust me, it will. I am the closest to our Goddess and she gave me powers that will aid us. When it's all over, Vale will be in ruins, we will have eliminated at least three Paladins of Light, and the world will fear the White Fang after seeing them lead Grimm into the city to slaughter innocent civilians."

"So long as I get what I want, do what you want with the Paladins, I don't care. However, do not kill Blake Belladonna. She is mine to kill," he ordered, which Cinder happily agreed to.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Up in Ozpin's tower, the headmaster was in a video conference call with the Vale Council, Ironwood, Headmistress Grace of Haven Academy and Headmaster Pecado of Shade Academy. The council declared that due to Ozpin inability to keep the Grimm from attacking inside the kingdom walls, they have chosen to elect Ironwood to act as protector of the Vytal Festival, who will be issuing Atlesian Knights, Paladins, and soldiers to act as security for the event. The conference ended, leaving only Ozpin, Grace, and Pecado still online.

"This isn't the right decision, Oz," Pecado stated, glaring at the headmaster with his dark, beady eyes. "The Huntsmen have always acted as protectors for the Vytal Festival, even when it took place in Atlas."

"It is the council's decision," Ozpin argued.

"Damn the council, and damn Ironwood too!"

"Pecado, please calm yourself," Grace told him. "Ozpin, knowing you, you'd trust Ironwood with protecting the Vytal Festival, but us both don't, especially since he's not one of us."

"The council has already made their decision, and there is no changing it," said Ozpin. His screen beeped and he touched it, where Kyler's face appeared onscreen. "Kyler, what is it?"

"I have found Qrow, and we are heading back to Beacon," he announced. "Qrow says he may have found something, but he won't tell me. We'll return within a couple weeks or so." Kyler hung up.

"And I think it would be best if we do not trust Kyler anymore. He violated the law we established between us and he has grown more unhinged since Summer died," Pecado stated. Ozpin was silent, unsure if he should defend his friend or not.

Grace chose to change the subject. "What about the next generation of Paladins? They have been anointed, but when are we to begin preparing them?"

"The Gods are waiting for the proper time, which we believe will be after the Vytal Festival is over," Ozpin answered.

"Seems like a good time to do so, after everyone has had their fill of fun and enjoyment," went Grace. "What about the break in at the CCT? We heard that it was a woman, whom Kyler suspects is a Wytch."

"That's impossible! We wiped out the Wytches long ago! The only one left alive should be Glynda, and only because of you, Oz!"

"I already have a few Huntsmen on a search for her within Vale." was Ozpin's answer.

Grace let out a long sigh. "For now, let us just enjoy the Vytal Festival and the temporary peace in this world. Pecado and I will come to gather our successors when the festival is over." The two signed off, leaving Ozpin alone in his office to muddle over the recent events.

Far over in the east, in Mistral, Headmistress Grace Evergreen left Haven Academy for the day and went home. There, she undressed and went into the shower, allowing hot water to cascade down her silky caucasian body and wetting her long silverly blonde hair. Grace's vibrant green eyes stole a glance out a small window located slightly above her head in the shower, staring out into the eternal summer of city of Mistral. Her hand brushed over her cleavage and over her shoulder, where her fingers touched at a tattoo on her back shoulder of a black tree. "Dark times are ahead…" Grace mumbled with nothing but the sound of the shower to accompany her.

In the west, Pecado Midnight sat in his shabby office of Shade Academy. He stared down at his desk and groaned. "I hate my job sometimes." He leaned back in his swivel chair and fell asleep.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Down in the tunnels underneath Vale, the destroyed train sat in a heap amidst the rubble with Grimm rummaged through the debris looking for bodies to feast on. An Ursa shifted aside a boulder and found Jaakuna's corpse underneath. "HALT!" ordered a voice, making all the Grimm freeze in place. A young beautiful woman clad in robes with a pair of black wings sprouting from her back mysteriously appeared and walked among the Grimm, who did not dare touch her. She glanced at Jaakuna with her gleaming green eyes and ordered a couple Beowolves to pull him out of the rubble. Pushing the blonde hair out of her eyes, she knelt down to his side as the Grimm surrounded them. "Jaakuna Daichi…such a peculiar life you have chosen for yourself to tear yourself from society and give into your inner demons, to become the creature knowns as 'The Man Behind the Mask' that people grew to fear, and yet you were never caught. And now you mingle with my Murtsling nowadays and have earned his friendship…You have earned the right to be my Àrsling," Sheena stated. She stretched her hand over him and his body glowed with a black aura and jerked a bit, then Jaakuna's eyes shot open and he drew breath.

"WHAT?! HOW?! WHO?!" Jaakuna spat out in confusion before Sheena hushed him.

"Take it easy, Jaakuna. I just saved your life." SHeena pressed a finger to his forehead and injected his mind with information as to who she is, his new destiny, and his new enemies. "Return to Adam Taurus and continue to take orders from him." Sheena ordered an Ursa to approach and had Jaakuna climb atop it and she ordered it to guide him out of the tunnels and outside the kingdom. When Jaakuna had set off, Sheena disappeared into the air.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **October 26th 1580**

 **Beacon Academy**

Team JNPR and Team LOST returned from their shadowing missions a week following the attack on Vale. For Team JNPR, the mission was a success, with the team and Pandora defending the mining town three times and destroying two Grimm nests, one of which was located within one of the mines. Team LOST came back battered, bloody, but alive and in high spirits, with having the Tsuchigomu Grimm destroyed thanks to their combined teamwork, as well as Olivia's globe bomb, which when shoved into an exposed hole in the Grimm, proved to be quite devastating. Both teams received high marks though for JNPR, Pandora reported that while Jaune's abilities as a leader were astounding, his combat prowess paled in comparison, and for LOST, Judith simply stated while they functioned well on the battlefield, especially given that the four share leadership duties and responsibilities, off the battlefield, they were incompetent, brash, and simply a wild bunch, with Lucas not caring half the time, Olivia being far too tricky and carefree, Senna being their "team mother," and Tristan and his perversions constantly getting him into trouble.

Pandora finished her report on Team JNPR with Ozpin and was finishing her coffee that he offered her. "So, how well did Jaune and Pyrrha perform on this mission?" he asked her.

"Excellently," Pandora answered. "They functioned well as a tag team, and I quickly noticed them sneaking out at night to train together, though at first, I thought they were sneaking off to do…something else. He is learning quickly though, thanks to Pyrrha's lessons…Ozpin, Jaune has no control over his Draíochta! He's supposed to be the Dànsling, yet it's inexcusable at how weak he is!"

"I can understand your worry, Pandora, I do, but Aziela chose Jaune for a special reason, and we must respect that decision and help turn him into a proper Paladin when the time comes, and when the time comes for the new Guardians, I expect you to be there to train them alongside with the previous Guardians," Ozpin told her.

"I will be there, I promise." Pandora turned to leave, but stopped for a moment. "You know, I wish you would have told me seventeen years ago that my daughter would be destined to serve the Dànsling as his Guardian though."

"Well, I was afraid you'd kill me if I told you," Ozpin chuckled, earning a chuckle from Pandora as well.

"Well, the Gods work in mysterious ways, don't they?" Pandora turned and left Ozpin's office. Before leaving for home, she went to visit Team JNPR, where she gave her daughter a big hug and wished the team, Jaune especially, the best of luck.

Team LOST, having returned from their mission, all agreed to just rest and sleep the rest of the day away, so after unpacking and putting their weapons away, they went to bed; Lucas put on some pajama pants, got into bed, and hugged the wall his bed was facing. Olivia stripped down to her underwear and crawled under her covers. Senna took time to change into her pajamas and quietly got into bed and got comfy. Tristan tossed his clothes (keeping his boxers on) onto his desk and chair and flopped into bed, where he soon fell asleep with a snore.

Team JNPR all unpacked and rested up from their mission as well. Ren silently crawled into bed and went to sleep while Nora energetically jumped up and down on her bed for a bit before collapsing to sleep. Pyrrha instead stayed awake, where she sat on her bed and twirled Milo in midair using her polarity. "That's pretty nifty, Pyr," Jaune commented as he sat down next to her with a block of black metal in his hands.

"Thanks. I do it to help pass the time and keep me occupied," she explained as she made Milo twirl in all sorts of directions. She quickly noticed the block in his hands. "What's that there?"

"Oh, it was a gift from one of the townspeople before we left. It's a block of malleable metal." Jaune poked the block with a finger and it left an indention in it. "I was thinking of giving it to you so you can play with it with your polarity." He handed her the block and she took it into her hands. After a bit of concentration, Pyrrha shifted the block to form into a pyramid, which impressed Jaune.

"Thank you so much, Jaune," she cooed, giving him a hug, making him blush. "I best head to bed, I'm pretty tired."

"Yeah, same for me." Jaune went to his bed, where he changed and got into it. Pyrrha did the same and before getting into bed and dozing off, she placed her metal pyramid on her nightstand. Jaune stole a glance at her then rolled over so he was facing her. His mind was racing with what she told Nora the morning after the dance, and he was unsure of how he truly felt for her; sure, Pyrrha is his friend, but since the dance, he has been second-guessing that, wondering if he too loves her. Jaune did not think of it much as sleep soon overtook him. In the world of dreams, he kept seeing a small island located to the east of Mistral, and on that island, he saw four young women looking at him, as if they personally knew him, and two middle-aged men who resembled him. Jaune awoke with a startle, and after he had calmed down, he fell asleep again, this time having no bizarre dreams.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 _Times are changing, and darkness is steadily returning to Remnant at last. And soon, I shall return stronger than ever. And when I do, nothing will stop me._

 **Next Chapter 4: The End of the Beginning**


	4. The End of the Beginning

**Chapter 4: The End of the Beginning**

 _Salem looked out onto the bleak landscape that was the Dark Realm of Remnant, watching the shattered moon of her world loom in the blood red sky. For three thousand years, she has been trapped in this realm by the Light Paladins, unable to escape, but her powers are strongest in this realm, and the Dark Realm feasts off evil and negativity of the Light Realm, so as evil flourishes, her power steadily returns. During those three thousand years, she had only Sheena for company, as well as the words the Laghsling and Cothrosling they told her before they departed. "'A smaller, more honest soul,' you told me," she said to herself. "It's true that a simple spark can ignite hope, and breathe fire into the hearts of the weary. Such is the way of the Paladins, is it not? The ability to derive strength from hope is undoubtedly mankind's greatest attribute. Which is why when the day comes that I can return to the Light Realm, I will focus all of my power to snuff it out."_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **November 2nd 1580**

 **The Vytal Festival Tournament**

Teams RWBY and ABRN kicked off the start of the Vytal Festival Tournament with the first team round, to which Team RWBY won after a wondrous victory against the Haven team. Team RWBY went to a noodles stand for some lunch, where they were joined by Teams JNPR, LOST, and ABRN, who congratulated them on their victory. "You girls just better win this tournament since we're the first to lose, got it?" Arslan told Team RWBY, to which Ruby gave her word that they will. Everyone sat around swapping stories and discussing the RWBY vs ABRN fight while slurping down noodles until they stuffed themselves silly.

"I feel like I'm going to throw up," Jaune moaned before resting his head on the counter. Pyrrha reaches over to rub his back, but remembers the last time she did that and retracts her hand. She instead gives Jaune her handkerchief—the same one she offered before initiation—and he took it, placing it over his mouth and lurching forward. "I'm definitely going to be sick."

"Ooh, aim at the enemy!" Nora injected, making the others laugh. "No one is gonna beat us in our match today! We got a ninja, a world-renowned fighter, I can bench five of me, and we have Jaune!"

"Well, at least we'll be fighting with actual guidelines instead of…well, murderers," Pyrrha noted.

"Yeah, you can say that again," Olivia of LOST added before slurping down some noodles. "Personally, I'm looking forward to an actual challenge; most of the terrorists and thugs I've dealt with in the past barely knew how to use Aura for protection."

"Well, we've dealt with worse as well," Yang told everyone. "Grimm invasions, violent extremists, and a destructive sociopath."

Suddenly, an announcement came over the intercom system alerting Teams JNPR and BRNZ to report to the Amity Coliseum for their team match. Team JNPR bid everyone farewell and headed off.

"I think we should head back to Beacon to prepare for our team match after theirs," Lucas ruled, earning collective agreements from his teammates. Before leaving, Olivia and Reese shared a kiss and Arslan grabbed Lucas' arm and planted a peck on his cheek, making him blush in surprise. Nearby, Nebula of NDGO waved Tristan from afar, which he returned and added a suggestive gesture of him flicking his tongue in between two fingers.

"I hate how you act like that with Nebula," she scoffed.

"Aw, widdle Senna's jealous she doesn't have a boyfriend!" Tristan teased, to which Senna shot a bolt of lightning at him, which he ducked under, allowing it to strike into a nearby stand and making the patrons jump in fear. "Okay, we better go. Now!" Team LOST scrambled out of there as fast as possible while the stand's owner yelled at them. They headed back to their dorm to suit up for their first match against Team ZPHR from Haven Academy.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Amity Coliseum**

Team JNPR were in their dressing room adjusting their gear and were preparing to head out. Even from inside, they could hear the thunderous applause of the audience who were eager to see the next fight. After they finished gearing up, Jaune sent profiles of the opposing team BRNZ to the others to look over. "I looked over Team BRNZ and the guys on the team are all close-combat melee fights; Brawnz uses claws, Roy has circular saws, and Nolan has an electrified baton; Nora, you best fight him so he can supercharge your Semblance," Jaune directed, to which Nora gave a smiling salute. "Now, the last one, May, uses a sniper rifle to provide cover to her teammates by keeping the opposing team at bay or by distracting them while they're engaged in combat with the boys. Our top priority would be to take her out quickly." The team took a quick minute to formulate a quick plan and then headed out towards the arena.

On the other side, Team BRNZ were looking over JNPR's profiles. "Now, we have little to go on for Ren and Nora, but we must not let our guard down around them, especially Nora. I heard she once attacked an Ursa and piggyback rode it around Vale back when those Grimm got inside," stated leader Brawnz Ni. "Now, Pyrrha Nikos will be their ace in the hole, given her athletic background. Do _not_ let your guard down around her. As for their leader Jaune, he will be a pushover. His stats are the lowest of his team, and he uses only a sword and shield in battle, giving him no long-range abilities whatsoever."

"What about their Semblances?" asked May Zedong as she loaded a fresh magazine cartridge into her rifle and pulled the hammer back.

"Pyrrha Nikos' is Polarity, giving her control over magnetic objects, but I don't know how effective this is or what the range on her ability is. Either way, be careful. As for Ren, he has a repulsive Semblance that allows him to force back attacks that come near him. Jaune's and Nora's are unknown to me."

Roy looked over both Jaune and Pyrrha's stats and exhaled at the comparisons between the two. "It baffles me that this guy is leader over Pyrrha Nikos," he commented.

"Well, whatever the case, we gotta win this for our school." The team headed out onto the arena along with Team JNPR, where the two teams stood facing each other, weapons drawn. The combat environment roulette began spinning and ended with two biomes: forest and thunderstorm, with the former on BRNZ's side and the latter on JNPR's. Jaune quickly noticed a dark cloud hanging over top the small mountain. "Alright, team, let's get ready!" Jaune ordered them, where they each raised their weapons in response.

"READY…GO!" yelled Professor Port, sending the teams into action. Jaune leapt forward at Brawnz swinging his sword, which Brawnz blocked with his spiked knuckles. Pyrrha leapt at Roy with her shield leading her and Miló in its xiphos form. Nora went at Nolan with a gleeful smile. Ren dashed at May, firing his guns at her while she zipped away, heading straight for the forest thicket, which she succeeded. She jumped up into a high tree and began picking off at Team JNPR with her sniper rifle, hitting Jaune in his shoulder, Pyrrha in her ankle, and forcing the team to take cover back in the thunderstorm biome, safe from the sniper fire as the rest of Team BRNZ began converging on them.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

At that present moment, Team LOST was gearing up for their fight against their opponents, Team ZPHR from Mistral. Olivia gave Lucas a left-handed desert eagle and a gun belt, stating that she wants to give him a firearm for when he's using Fida'an's machete form, which Lucas gladly accepted. After the finished dressing, they took a quick look at their opponents' profiles before switching the television screen to the fight.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Back in the fight, Jaune clashed his blade against Brawnz's spiked knuckle where Brawnz spun around and kicked Jaune square in the chest, making him heave forward. Brawnz followed up with a jab to the gut, making Jaune cry out in a moan and lurch forward. "Dude, you okay?" Brawnz asked, worried that he may have hurt Jaune, moving close to him.

"Oh, it seems there is something wrong with Jaune Arc!" cried Port from the commentator's box, making the crowd turn their gaze to the blond. Even the members of Teams JNPR and BRNZ took their attention from the battle to look at him. Jaune pressed his hands to his stomach and lurched forward. BLEAAH! Jaune then puked all over Brawnz, covering the teen in digested noodles and gravy, making him spin about, trying to wipe the stuff off of himself. The crowd was caught in a wave of gasps, moans, and laughs. "Ooh! And it looks like Jaune has lost his noodles! Literally!"

"Which reminds me, the tournament is partially sponsored by _A Simple Wok Noodle House_ , they're the noodliest!" announced Oobleck. The fight resumed, with Pyrrha dashing in front of Jaune and attacking Brawnz and knocking him backwards before she pulled Jaune to cover behind a boulder just as May Zedong opened fire on them again. During Jaune's puke session, Nora had climbed atop the mountain and raised Magnhild high, where it acted as a lightning rod and causing the dark cloud to strike her with a bolt of lightning. However, instead of feeling pain, Nora became supercharged, thanks to her Semblance, which allows her to absorb electrical sources to supercharge her attack. "By the power of pancakes, I have the power!" she screamed as she transformed Magnhild into its grenade launcher form, where it opened up, revealing a full six-round chamber inside. Nora pulled the trigger and all six grenade shells were fired, where they soared through the air towards the cluster of trees and formed into a pink heart of smoke. May saw this heart fly towards her and she bit her lip and braced herself. The grenade heart struck the forest and created a giant crater where it hit. May emerged from the destroyed forest and joined alongside her teammates in the middle of the arena along with Team JNPR who stood opposite of them.

"Alright, looks like it comes down to simple team tactics, guys!" Jaune told his team. "I know they look tough, but we got this! Nora, Ren, Flower Power!" He struck his sword towards Team BRNZ, expecting the two to commence their tag team attack.

"Wait, what?" Nora questioned. Jaune turned to his team, who were all confused by his sudden call of play.

"Flower Power, you know, your tag team move?" Jaune told them. Team BRNZ stayed put, watching this unfold.

"I get the power part, but what do you mean by 'flower'?" Ren asked.

"I think he means 'flour,' like a cake!" Nora interjected.

"But why would I bring a cake to battle?"

"Um, what's our tag team name, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked her leader.

"Pyrrha, we discussed this before! You and I are Arkos!"

"Arkos? Why that name?"

"Well, it's a combination of both our names."

"Oh, I see, I see. Very clever."

"EXCUSE ME! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Brawnz interjected.

"We're trying to have a conversation here!" Jaune shot at him.

"WE'RE HAVING A FIGHT HERE!"

"Um, Jaune, he's right, you know," Pyrrha reminded him. Jaune now became aware of the booing the entire crowd was giving them.

"Um…Nora, just hit them with your hammer," Jaune ordered. Team BRNZ grew nervous while Nora merely grinned. She leapt at them and smashed Magnhild into all four of them, rocketing them out of the arena and slamming them into the dome barrier, earning Team JNPR victory by knockout.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

An airship docked down at the Vale Airship Airport and a number of passengers disembarked and went off. The last two to leave the airship was Kyler Carnaid and Qrow Branwen, the latter of whom had his large buster sword strapped to his back while he drank from a hip flask. Kyler had his trench coat buttoned together and his hands dug into his pockets. "Well, we best get to Beacon and notify Ozpin that you're back," Kyler told Qrow.

"But first, I need a drink," Qrow added.

"You just drank from your flash though."

"Yeah, but I need a different drink."

Kyler let out a sigh. "How has alcohol not killed you yet, old man?"

"Hey, you're older than me, old man!" Qrow chuckled before heading off. Kyler let him go, choosing to let him enjoy some quiet time for a while while he heads for Beacon to talk to Ozpin.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Beacon Academy**

Kyler stood in Ozpin's office in front of the large desk as the headmaster of the school stared at him. "It's good to see you back, Kyler," Ozpin told him.

"Thank you, Oz. It's good to be back. Listen, I brought Qrow back, but he's…" Kyler started.

"He's gone off to the nearest bar for a drink, I take it?" The surprise on Kyler's face made the old man smile. "As I suspected. Well, he's been away for quite a while, so let's let him have some time alone."

"Qrow wouldn't tell me what he discovered over in Mistral, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Kyler. However, I do wish you and Qrow would make amends and learn to get along just a little." Ozpin poured Kyler a mug of coffee, which the black coated man took and sipped from.

"I wish the same, though I doubt he will ever forgive me for Summer."

"Please. Let's not talk about such things for now. Let's not talk about the war, the Paladins, or anything. Let's just have a moment to relax and enjoy this peace and quiet." Ozpin went and brought out a chair, which Kyler accepted. While Kyler sipped his coffee, Ozpin brought up a holographic television screen depicting the Amity Coliseum with Teams LOST and ZPHR in the arena before their fight begins. "Well, looks like four of our chosen Guardians are going to be fighting soon." Kyler nodded in response.

"Do we have a list of our other Guardians?" Kyler asked. Ozpin procured a note from his desk and handed it to Kyler, who read over the names.

"I will be contacting the past Guardians to come to Vale to train the new Guardians once the Vytal Festival nears its end," Ozpin explained. They both sat sipping their coffee as they watched the next tournament fight.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The fight was rousing and entertaining, as put by the viewers, but in the end, Team LOST claimed victory by a small margin, pushing them to the doubles round. Their friends went to them to congratulate them, and their girlfriends raced to them to give them massive hugs (and a wet kiss from Nebula to Tristan) and then they headed off to get lunch together. While leaving the coliseum, Weiss noticed an unique airship flying through the sky towards the airship yard, and she grew excited. "She's here!" she exclaimed, dashing off for the airship yard while Ruby followed after her, curious as to what has gotten her partner so excited.

Ruby followed Weiss to the docked airship, where a tall woman in Schnee-brand clothes and snow white hair was with several Atlesian Knights and Atlesian workers. "Winter!" Weiss called out to her older sister. The two went to each other and conversed until Ruby interrupted, asking about Winter. "So, this is the leader you spoke of in your messages," Winter inquired, stepping towards Ruby and looking her over. "How…interesting." Ruby gulped and froze up, allowing the sisters to pass her. Winter questioned Weiss about her well-being, completely ignoring her studies and grades. The two headed off towards Beacon with a group of Atlesian Knights, where they ran into Ozpin, Glynda, Ironwood, and Kyler, who they all greeted properly.

Suddenly, from behind them, two Atlesian Knights were decapitated and fell to the ground and Qrow was the culprit, standing behind where they stood with his sword in hand. "Qrow, what is the meaning of this?!" Kyler demanded.

"Well, well, for the so-called protectors for the Vytal Festival, these guys sure go down easily," Qrow noted aloud for everyone, including the civilians who were beginning to gather.

"Qrow, my Atlesian Knights weren't meant to be taken down by ally Huntsmen who attack them in a drunken fit," Ironwood growled.

"Qrow, I suggest you apologize to General Ironwood immediately," Winter warned him, stepping forward.

"Heh. Or what? You gonna run home crying to daddy if I don't?" Qrow teased with a chuckle. Winter responded with a cold glare and drew her swords and then charged at him. She swiped forward with multiple stabs, each of which Qrow easily dodged before drawing his own sword. "What do you think of my huge sword?"

"It's not that big."

"That's not what you used to say back when we used to fool around." This earned a few snickers from bystanders while Winter blushed a deep red. She gritted her teeth and charged at him, both of them going at it with swords swinging.

"What's going on?!" Ruby asked Weiss after arriving to the scene.

"Some crazy drunk just attacked our Atlesian Knights and is fighting my sister!"

"What?! Who would do such a…" Ruby turned to the fighters and saw that Weiss was talking about Qrow. "…THAT IS MY UNCLE! KICK HER BUTT, UNCLE QROW!"

"Teach him some manners, Winter!" Weiss retorted. The fight continued on for a while, resulting in Qrow and Winter destroying part of the courtyard.

"Ozpin, shall I end this myself?" Kyler asked the old headmaster, who answered positively. Kyler drew his sword, Bloody Tears. The blade materialized from nowhere and he leapt high into the air, where he came down in between Qrow and Winter just as they swung their blades at each other. Kyler's blade connected with Qrow's, knocking it aside, then he dodged Winter's swing and got behind her, where he grabbed at both her wrists, twisting her blades out and onto the ground. He spun around and jumped onto Qrow, knocking the old man to the ground. "Enough of this childish squabble already!" While the two combatants were calming themselves dow, Ironwood and Ozpin went to them and Glynda tended to the hole in the courtyard, repairing it with mere ease.

"What on Remnant were you thinking, Schnee?" Ironwood demanded from her.

"H-He started the altercation, sir!" Winter argued, to which Qrow shot them a shaking of his head from behind. "Actually, she did it first," Qrow corrected.

"Qrow, we need to talk up in my office. Kyler, I need you there as well," Ozpin told the two.

"UNCLE QROW!" screamed Ruby, latching onto her uncle. "Ohh, it's so good to see you! Didja miss me? DIDJA MISS ME?!"

"Nah," he answered, scratching her head and dropping her. "Look, kiddo, I gotta go talk to Ozpin, okay? I'm sorta in trouble since I tore up the courtyard a bit."

"No worries, I did the same my first day here." Qrow laughed and scrubbed Ruby's hair up again. "You're your mother's daughter alright. Catch ya later," Qrow told her, giving her a big hug before leaving. Kyler gave Ruby a wave and a smile as he followed after Qrow.

"I can see where you get your recklessness from," Weiss told her after the two regrouped. Ruby gave her a cheeky grin while Weiss shook her head in her hand.

"You're just mad that my uncle whooped your sister's butt."

"Hey, that was a draw, at best."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Beacon Tower**

High up in Ozpin's office, the headmaster, Glynda, Ironwood, Qrow, and Kyler had gathered. "Now, tell me what on Remnant were you thinking attacking my specialist?" Ironwood demanded of Qrow. "If you were one of my men, I would have had you shot!"

"Heh, if I was one of your men, I'd shoot myself; better than having to work for you," Qrow retorted, earning a growl from the general.

"Look, let's not get ourselves too worked up here," Kyler quickly added, hoping to calm the situation. "Although, while Qrow does have his habit of…doing things his own way, you shouldn't have retaliated the way you did while provoking him, Winter."

"He was drunk!" she shot at him.

"He's always drunk!" Glynda growled. Even at that moment, Qrow was drinking from his hip flask, though he froze when he noticed they were looking at him. "Uhh…it's the alcohol. It wants me to drink it," Qrow explained with a chuckle.

"Qrow, did you discover anything about our enemies while you were out in Mistral?" Ozpin asked him, hoping to steer everyone away from the courtyard fight.

"Yeah, and thanks to you sending your 'Old Wolf' buddy out to get me, we managed to cover more ground and we happened upon something in an underground cave." Qrow paused for a moment, hoping that someone will ask, but no one did. "Geez, I could at least get a drum roll or something…we discovered that a Dark Paladin, possibly more, is in Vale as we speak."

"Yes, we know about that. We suspect that she broke into the CCT a few weeks ago," Ironwood informed him.

"Oh, so you know, and you didn't bother telling me about it!" Qrow snapped. "Well, guess what? I also discovered that this Dark Paladin is working directly for Salem herself!" A collective group of gasps followed.

"But Salem was sealed away in the Dark Realm nearly a thousand years ago. Both Kyler and I ensured that," Ozpin argued.

"That's true, Oz, but I've learned over the years that whenever evil flourishes and grows, the seal on the Dark Realm weakens, allowing Salem's power to flood into our world," Kyler explained. "I learned this sometime during the Great War, and after it ended, the seal grew stronger, so so long as Light and Good flourishes in this realm, Salem cannot return."

"But it still means that Salem could return, and Kyler, you and I are not enough to stop her, not this time," Ozpin warned him.

"I know…I know. We will have to prepare the next generation of Paladins for this creature."

"And when was it that you intended to tell me who the next generation consists of? I would like to be prepared for who will be the forefront protectors of our world," Ironwood inquired.

"I don't think it's best if a simple man like yourself should know, Jimmy," Qrow told him. "After all, you're not one of us."

"And why should that influence my part in this?" Ironwood growled. "I have protected this world with my armies for years. I have been protecting the citizens of Remnant while the Paladins have been acting as school headmasters and as a lonely Huntsman. I have been ensuring that people feel safe while the Guardians have all been living semi-normal lives in this world."

"Yeah, and you've been doing a pretty bang-up job of it so far, and you even named your latest military creation after the Paladins as well," Qrow shot at him. "We are more than just Huntsmen, generals, and headmasters, we are the ones who keep the world save from the evils that should not exist, the ones told as bedtime stories to children. We use powers that should not exist that can make the simplest of men mad with power. We have lied to everyone we know, including our families, to keep them safe, and you know what, I have a very good feeling it was all for nothing, cuz they're just going to see all those bedtime stories come true when the Paladins of Light and Dark emerge." Everyone was silent. "You know, Jimmy, when you brought your army to Vale to protect everyone during the Vytal Festival, did you think you were being discreet, thinking our enemies wouldn't notice, or did you just not give a damn?!"

"ENOUGH!" Kyler shouted, stomping his boot onto the floor. Ironwood ignored him and placed his scroll upon Ozpin's desk, causing a holographic image of Vale with the Atlesian fleet in the sky to appear in the middle of the room.

"Discreet wasn't going to work, not this time," Ironwood explained. "I did this because it was necessary."

"You're only here because Ozpin trusted you with the secrets of Remnant!" Qrow shot at him. "He figured that we would need the strength of the Atlesian military for when the prophecy comes true and that's the _only_ reason!"

"And I am grateful for it. I am."

"Well, you have a pisspoor way of showing it, especially after how you just took over overseeing the protection of Vale away from the Huntsmen."

"The people of Vale needed someone to protect them, especially after that Grimm attack inside the walls. They needed someone to act, and when they see my fleet in hovering in the sky and Atlesian Knights patrolling the streets, they feel safe, and when our enemies see it, they will know fear."

Qrow began to laugh. "You think they're scared of your little ships?! We've seen what Sheena is capable of, both with her Grimm and just two of her Dark Paladins, and I can assure you that they are not afraid of robots, giant airships, or even you! They can turn your army to dust in seconds!"

"Qrow is correct, James," spoke Kyler. "The Dark Paladins fear only the power of the Light Paladins and their magical weaponry, and both have powers that can only be measured by the other."

"James, I know you mean well, but an army is a symbol of conflict, and yours only tells us that the time could be nigh, but the Paladins and the Guardians, those are symbols of comfort and light. When the darkness returns and evil blankets the sky like it did so long ago, it will be the Paladins and Guardians who will cast beacons of light into that darkness for the world to see," Ozpin explained.

"So what do you suggest we do, Ozpin?" Ironwood sighed as he retrieved his scroll.

"For now, we must prepare ourselves and summon the previous Paladins and Guardians to Vale for the next generation, but until then, let us enjoy this time of peace a while longer. We shall begin when the Vytal Festival has ended." Ironwood took his leave. "Kyler, can I trust you with Ruby when the time comes?"

"You always can, my friend."

"Qrow, I know you'd want to accompany Kyler and Ruby, but I will need you here to train the next Guardians."

"I understand." Qrow shot a glare at Kyler.

"What about the other Paladins?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin was silent for a moment. "I want all the Paladins to be taken to the Xiao Long household on Patch, where they will be safe for the time being. There, Kyler, Grace, Pecado, and Raven will tell them of their destinies and take them away; Qrow, get in contact with Raven and notify her of this decision." Qrow nodded.

"And what about Jaune Arc?" Kyler asked.

"…We will have to talk to him privately. Just the four of us, not James. Pyrrha Nikos as well…"

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

A few days have passed, and the doubles rounds for the tournament had begun now that the team rounds were all finished. Team RWBY elected that Weiss and Yang should move on, where they were to fight Team FNKI's Flynt and Neon. Team JNPR chose Jaune and Pyrrha to fight Team SSSN's Sun and Neptune. Team LOST sent Lucas and Tristan for their doubles round.

The night after Team JNPR's decision, Jaune and Pyrrha's training regime picked up speed, with both of them focusing more on new tag team tactics for the two while analyzing Sun and Neptune's fighting styles, but neither of which cut into Jaune's training. Pyrrha was constantly pushing his limits, which irritated him at times, but he was showing a lot of improvement; his moves were less telegraphed, his speed had quickened, and Jaune began using his sword and shield in conjunction more and more.

"You're getting better each day, but you're just not quite there yet for the doubles round," Pyrrha told him after helping him off the floor. "However, I'm really impressed with your development, Jaune. You've gotten stronger, faster, and you've improved a great deal as a leader, and I couldn't be more proud of you, and you did all this without having full control over your Aura, which is most impressive."

"Gee, thanks, Pyrrha," Jaune said, turning a little red from her compliment.

"I'm serious! You're improving faster than I ever did, and I had Aura and my mother to help me!"

"And I'm serious too. Thank you." Pyrrha was speechless. She smiled and gave him a big hug, which he returned.

"You still need to work on your Aura though. C'mere." She brought him close and placed her hands on his. "Now focus your Aura into your hands, try that, at least." Jaune did that, focusing his Aura into his hands, but he could not. "Here, let me try something." She placed her hands on his right cheek and over his heart. "I'm going to try using my Aura to draw out your Aura and make it easier for you." Pyrrha concentrated as hard as possible, seeping her Aura into Jaune's body, where she discovered his Aura inside his body. _There it is,_ she thought as she worked to draw it out. As hard as she tried, however, Jaune's Aura stayed put, and her own ended up cementing itself within Jaune's body and his Aura, merging with it instantly. Pyrrha gave a gasp and let go, falling to the floor.

"PYRRHA!" Jaune cried, scooping her up into his arms.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" she gasped, waving her hands about to regain her bearings. "I just need…just need some rest from all the training, that's all." She tried getting up, but Jaune forbad it.

"Forget it, I'll carry you back to our dorm," Jaune told her as he hoisted her up and carried her back in his arms. The entire time of the trip, Pyrrha rested her head against Jaune's shoulder. "So, any luck with my Aura back there?" he asked her during the trip.

"No, none. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll appear eventually." They eventually reached their dorm, where Pyrrha went and changed into her pajamas and went to bed while Jaune stayed up to read a fantasy book called _The Warrior of the Sun_ , which is about a young man with a magical sword on a quest to slay a witch that killed the woman he loved. He was just getting to the good part where the hero was confronting the evil witch when a nearby Nora cleared her throat to get his attention.

"So, I take it nighttime training went well?" she asked him, to which he nodded. "So, I guess Pyrrha got tired out training you?"

"Sorta. She tried something to help me with my Aura and she collapsed," Jaune explained. Nearby, Pyrrha, who was not asleep yet, decided to listen on the conversation.

"Oh-ho, so you thought you'd put the moves on her by carrying your warrior princess to your dorm and put her to bed, huh? You like~ Pyrrha!"

Jaune blushed a deep red. "I don't…I mean I…It's nothing like that!" he stuttered.

"You've been getting really friendly with Pyrrha ever since the dance though. I remember how you wore that dress for her because of your silly promise. Any girl would want a guy who sacrifices his ego like that for her." Jaune was silent for a moment. "So, do you like Pyrrha or not? I mean, you know she likes you. I saw that you were awake when I spoke with her the morning after the dance." Pyrrha held in her gasp, shocked that Jaune was awake that morning. She stayed silent and still, curious to hear what Jaune has to say.

"Well…Pyrrha is my best friend, and I do like her, I do. It's just that I'm scared of being in love with her. I've _never_ been in love with anyone before and I never had any friends growing up, and Pyrrha is the first of both of those. I guess I'm just scared of screwing it up for the first time ever and ruining our friendship, which will put our teamwork on a tilt and ruin that as well."

"Well, yeah, you've got a good point, but it's better to at least try and acknowledge your feelings for her. Why let it all hide inside you and end up regretting it in the future?"

"I just…"

"Jaune, Pyrrha likes you," said Ren from his bed, making the blonde jump at his voice. "The fact alone that she didn't rat you out on your fake transcripts says it enough, plus with how much she has trained you to get better while asking for nothing in return shows how much she cares for you, and you care for her enough to ruin your ego wearing that dress at the dance. Just tell her how you feel when you two are alone, and nothing can go wrong." Ren rolled over and went to sleep.

Jaune let out a sigh. "Okay, I'll try." He went to his bed and soon fell asleep. Pyrrha looked over at Nora, who flashed her a wink before climbing into her bed, then she rolled back over and focused on trying to sleep.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **November 16th 1580**

"Here, Jaune, this is for you." Pyrrha handed Jaune a small data card after breakfast. Jaune loaded it into his scroll, which downloaded a large number of short videos to his hard drive. Each video consisted of Pyrrha showing him detailed instructions on various fighting techniques on a combat droid from the Beacon Training Facility. "I made these this morning for you, so you can practice a little on your own before our doubles round tomorrow."

"Thanks, Pyrrha. This will really help a lot," Jaune complimented, clicking on one video, which showed Pyrrha ducking under the sword of the training droid and leaping onto it, knocking it backwards onto its back, where she stabbed Miló into its unprotected chest.

"That move is good for when your enemy's guard is down, but if it isn't, then it will leave you open instead," Pyrrha explained.

"I'll start trying out right away. Thanks, Pyr." Jaune was about to say something, wanting to tell Pyrrha about his feelings, but he ended up losing his voice on the spot and instead turned and left. Pyrrha watched him go and let out a sigh.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The doubles rounds for Teams RWBY, JNPR, and LOST were successful, with all three teams moving forward to the singles rounds; Yang, Pyrrha, and Tristan were chosen for by their teams for this.

After they finished their round against Team SSSN, Jaune and Pyrrha went with their team to have some noodles for lunch. During the course of their meal, Jaune's scroll rang. "Hello?" he answered.

"Mr. Arc, I need to speak with you about an urgent matter immediately. Please bring Mrs. Nikos with you as well. No one else," spoke Ozpin.

"Um, okay, but can I ask what this is about?"

"It's a private, and extremely urgent matter. Please come to my office with Mrs. Nikos straight away, and bring your sword if you do not have it with you." Ozpin hung up, leaving Jaune confused.

"What was that about?" Pyrrha asked after slurping down some noodles.

"Ozpin wants to see us in his office immediately, just you and me," he told her. "Nora, Ren, just enjoy yourselves, we'll be back in no time." Jaune ensured that his sword was on his hip and the two headed off. Given that they were on the festival grounds, they opted to just walk back to Beacon, and after about twenty minutes, they had arrived upon Beacon grounds. They made their way to Beacon Tower and took the elevator up. "So, what do you think Ozpin wants to talk to us about?" Jaune asked his partner on the way up.

"I don't know, but I'm curious as to why he only wants to speak to us two and not Ren and Nora. Do you think it may have something to do with your fake transcripts?" she inquired.

"It can't be. He said that he knew that they were fake straight from the beginning."

"Well, let's just hold tight and see what he wants." They waited a couple minutes longer and the doors slid open, revealing Ozpin's office inside. The headmaster was seated at his desk and Glynda was beside him. Kyler sat on the edge of the desk at one end watching the two enter, and Qrow saw leaning around a pillar with his flask at his lips.

"Jaune, Pyrrha, please come in and take a seat," Ozpin told them, motioning to two chairs before his desk. Both teens seated themselves and waited for Ozpin to begin speaking with only the sounds of the tower's cogs turning making any sound. Kyler stood and slowly went to Jaune, taking a close look at him.

"Even at such a young age, you look so much like your great-great-grandfather, Jaundice," he remarked.

You knew my grandfather?" Jaune was confused, and Kyler chose to ignore him and went to his right hand, where he pulled off his glove and marveled at the mark on his hand.

"Have you shown this to Pyrrha yet or anyone else for that matter?" Kyler inquired.

"Wait, you can see it?" said a bewildered Jaune.

"Only special people like us and you two can see it," Ozpin answered.

"So how do you think we should break the ice to them?" asked Qrow.

"What is going on here?" Pyrrha asked sternly.

"I will explain, but first, would you two like some coffee, or maybe some tea?" Ozpin asked. Both teens declined, both of them now eager and curious to know why Ozpin brought them here. "Tell me, Jaune, what is your favorite fairy tale?" Jaune was taken aback by the strange question. "Any sort of fairy tale, a bedtime story, even."

"Um, I don't quite understand," he answered.

"Well, have you at least heard the story of the Paladins of Remnant?"

"Who hasn't heard that story at least once in their life?" Pyrrha interjected. "It's one of the most popular fairy tales of Remnant and has been passed down as a bedtime story to young children for ages."

"Do you know how the story goes, Mrs. Nikos?"

"Well, I don't know it word for word, but according to the storybooks, the Paladins were alive a very long time ago shortly after the creation of our world. When the Grimm were created by an evil Goddess, the five other Gods bestowed their power unto five chosen mortals and gifted them with magical weapons to fight the Grimm. They each carried a unique set of magical powers given to them by their respective God."

"Yes, that is correct. All five Paladins were tasked with protecting the world from the Goddess Sheena and her Grimm, and that was their destiny for as long as they lived."

"What happened to the Paladins afterwards? The version of the story my parents always read me ended with 'The Paladins continued to fight the ever growing darkness until their dying days'," Jaune asked.

Ozpin stood and strolled over one of the pane glass windows, sipping his coffee as he stared out onto Beacon Academy. "No version of the story details what happened to the Paladins, nor does any version detail what sort of people the Paladins were."

"Headmaster, you speak as if the Paladins were real people," Pyrrha commented.

"That's because they were." Jaune and Pyrrha's eyes widened. Ozpin turned to face them. "Everything about the stories of the Paladins actually happened. The Gods exist, the Paladins exist, their Draíochta, their power, the destruction of Iris' moon, everything is real."

"S-Sir, what are you talking about?" Jaune stuttered.

Ozpin said nothing, instead he set down his mug and began rolling up his left sleeve, where a small tattoo of a black hourglass sat upon his skin. "My name is Ozpin, and I am the Cothrosling, the Paladin of Sklor, the God of Balance and Time."

Kyler stood up and removed his coat and shirts, revealing a body full of scars small and large and a tattoo of a black circle sun with m-shaped ravens flying into it upon his left breast, over his heart. "My name is Kyler Carnaid, and I am the Laghsling, the Paladin of Oum, Lord of AboveRealm, and I am the very first Paladin."

Jaune and Pyrrha were both shivering, and they both looked to Glynda and Qrow, expecting them to reveal similar tattoos. "We are not Paladins, but we are Guardians to them," Glynda told them, recognizing their unsteady faces.

"I am a Guardian as well, and I once served a Laghsling that came after Kyler, and her name was Summer Rose," Qrow told them.

"Rose…You mean like Ruby?!" Jaune spat out. Qrow nodded.

"That's right. Ruby's mother was destined to be a Laghsling, and I personally trained her and Qrow served as her Guardian," Kyler answered.

"This cannot be real!" Pyrrha protested, jumping to her feet. "How can you two be these…Paladins?! The stories said they existed over a thousand years ago!"

"The Gods gave us immortality to both time and disease so we may fight evil for as long as need be until we either fall in battle or someone else succeeds us," Ozpin answered. "Many other Paladins followed after us, but we chose to stay alive in the event that we would be needed again."

"What does this have to…!" Pyrrha started before suddenly gasping, looking over at Jaune and his mark. "…No…You don't mean…!" Ozpin nodded.

"Jaune, ever since the day you were born, you were destined to be Aziela's Paladin, the Dànsling," Ozpin told him, making Pyrrha gasp. "You are destined to rise up and become a hero to Remnant, to cast away darkness and fill it with light, to serve the Goddess of Victory and destroy the Grimm that threaten our world."

Jaune was silent, staring open-mouthed at Ozpin. "This has to be a mistake…I mean, I'm nothing special, really. How can I be this Paladin? I mean, I thought they were just fairy tales."

"That is what we thought was best for the world. Ever since we ended the war long ago with the Shattering of the Moon, we kept ourselves a secret from the world. Our successors were always seen as simply powerful warriors and we ensured that any talk of us became nothing but simple fairy tales, like your grandfather, Etrius Arc."

"Etrius…Arc…" Jaune mumbled.

"Etrius was the very first Arc of your family, Jaune. He was an incredible Paladin and he was a good friend to us both," Kyler remarked.

"Jaune's grandfather was a Paladin?" went Pyrrha.

"He was the first Dànsling, and the most powerful of the Paladins, even compared to me," Kyler told them. "After we achieved a temporary peace, Etrius disappeared from the world, leaving his family his sword for his descendants to wield." Jaune looked down at his own sword. "Yes, that's the very same sword Etrius wielded a thousand years ago, but he had its true power sealed away for protection. And now, the sword passes onto you, the next Dànsling." Jaune swallowed hard and was silent.

"Jaune, do you remember what I told you when I interviewed you before the school year began? I told you that it is not only the Grimm that you would be fighting, but those who threaten our world and that one day, you would probably have to make decisions that will send your fellow Huntsmen to their death. That time has come. The past Dànslings, all of them Arcs, were all great leaders who possessed a special Semblance that passed down through their descendants."

"Wait, you know what my Semblance is? What is it, I gotta know! I've been trying to figure it out forever!" Jaune retorted. Ozpin smiled and waved his hand, urging Jaune to calm down. Ozpin retrieved his scroll tablet and opened up a video of Team JNPR's fight against Team BRNZ.

"Look at how you command your team with minimal words and simple gestures. They follow your command and your tactics when you enforce them with your own will; _that_ is your Semblance. The ability to command and direct troops in battle with only one's voice was the power every Arc possessed in life, and the same follows for you too, Jaune."

"This is…wow…" Jaune muttered as he looked down at his hands, completely lost for words. "All my life I dreamed of being like the heroes in stories and fairy tales, but I never imagined that I was born one of them."

"Jaune, it is not easy being a Paladin, and I know that you have little control over your Draíochta—not Aura—but once we begin training the new generation of Paladins, you will learn how to properly utilize it and do incredible things with it."

"Why am I here then? If Jaune is a Paladin, then what am I doing here?" Pyrrha asked.

"You're his Guardian, plain and simple. Aziela appeared to you the day you were born just as she did with Jaune and she gifted you with Draíochta and made it your destiny to protect Jaune and serve as a Guardian of Remnant," Kyler answered.

"Jaune, we intend to set things in motion once the Vytal Festival is over. From there, Kyler and I, as well as the other previous Paladins, will take the new Paladins for training. Since there isn't a Dànsling available to come for you, Pandora Nikos will be taking you to Mistral to proceed from there," Ozpin dictated. "There is a small island where Aziela wants you to go to for your training." He showed Jaune his tablet, which had a map of the continent of Mistral with a glowing island off the east coast.

"My mother…?" Pyrrha started.

"Your mom is a Guardian as well, and she is a damn good one," Qrow commented. Pyrrha gasped. "You're a lot like her yourself."

"Do you understand everything, Jaune?" Ozpin asked, to which Jaune nodded. "Try to understand, we are not trying to scare you or anything and I know that this is a heavy burden to place onto you, but we have enemies in this world who are targeting us, and we felt that you should know who you really are so you may prepare yourself ahead of time."

"I would advise that you continue to enjoy the Vytal Festival for now, even with this knowledge, and please remember to keep this an absolute secret between all of us; not even Lie Ren or Nora Valkyrie must know about this," Glynda advised. Jaune got up and headed for the door, but Pyrrha remained put.

"Ozpin, sir, if you intend on taking Jaune away to this island for training, then I insist that I accompany him as well, and the same for our friends Ren and Nora," she declared.

"Pyrrha, we will need you here acting as a Guardian to help protect Remnant while the Paladins are training."

"I don't care. Jaune needs me with him more than the world does. If it's my destiny to protect him, then surely I need to be with him to help him train and grow stronger."

Ozpin was silent for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. "If you so desire to be with Jaune, then I shall grant it. Just ensure that he is properly ready for his return." He gave her a wink, which make her body jolt for a moment, but she quickly regained her bearings, gave everyone a nod, and exited the room with Jaune.

"Well, now that that is done with, I'm gonna go have fun with my nieces," Qrow remarked, heading down in the elevator once it had returned.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

And that is exactly what Qrow did; as soon as he arrived at Team RWBY's dorm, Ruby and Yang leapt at their uncle and clung themselves to him while whooping for joy. "It's so good to see you, Uncle Qrow!" Ruby screamed, burrowing her face into his chest.

"Wassup, Uncle?!" Yang yelled, giving her uncle a bear hug, squeezing his innards to dust. Weiss and Blake opted to go out for tea and coffee to allow the girls some alone time with their uncle. The three began their episode of fun by playing a video game together, of which Qrow completely slaughtered both girls much to their dismay, then he decided to tell him a few of his Huntsmen stories while they told them about their recent adventures battling Roman Torchwick and the White Fang.

"Well, it seems you kids are turning out to be powerful Huntresses, and you kids haven't even graduated yet," Qrow remarked after Ruby finished telling the story of how they stopped the White Fang's plans in Mountain Glenn. He took a sip from his flask then pulled out an old tattered photo. "You girls remind me of my team back when I was your age. Back then, I was part of Team STRQ with your parents, and we were the best of the best back then." He handed the photo to the girls, which depicted a young Qrow, Taiyang, Summer Rose, and Raven Branwen, the last of whom Yang quickly recognized as the woman who rescued her on the train. Qrow took the photo back and took another swig from his flask. His scroll gave off a beeping sound, making him get up and head for the door. "Sorry, but I gotta go. Ozpin needs me for something. Listen, I know you kids think you're tough, but you've only foiled some simple plans set up by some lowly criminals. Those guys are nothing compared to the bad guys I've seen outside of the kingdoms."

"But none of our other classmates have done anything like that," Ruby argued.

"I'm not saying that what you kids did wasn't an achievement or anything, I'm just telling you not to get too cocky; there's far worse dangers in this world other than the Grimm. Being a Huntress isn't all about fighting Grimm and saving the day, but so long as you keep moving forward, there will always be a brighter day ahead." Qrow took his leave, leaving his nieces with his words.

"Those are the same words Mister Wolf said on our first day…" Ruby commented.

"I guess those three simple words mean a lot to all sorts of people," Yang told her sister. The two sat down together and played another game together, choosing to enjoy the rest of their afternoon as the Fall breeze blew into their room through the open window.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Pyrrha sat on a bench near the Beacon cafeteria alone with only her thoughts to accompany her. Only a couple hours have passed since her meeting with Jaune and Ozpin and the memory was still fresh in her mind; she could recall every moment of when everything she once knew about the world, her family, her friend, and herself came crashing down onto her and filled her head with nothing but concern and worry.

"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you," said a voice. Snapping herself awake, Pyrrha looked up to see Jaune next to her wearing a comforting smile and holding a tub of popcorn. He sat down next to her on her left and handed her the tub, to which she mumbled a thank you and ate a couple kernels. "I imagine you've been going over everything that happened in Ozpin's office, huh?" Pyrrha nodded. "I gotta admit, it really surprised me learning all that. I mean, imagine that; my family is composed of legendary heroes! My family is blessed with the Draíochta of the Paladins by the Goddess Aziela, who actually exists! It's…exciting!"

"That's nice," Pyrrha mumbled.

"Hey, you okay?" Jaune rested his hand on her shoulder, but Pyrrha shrugged him off and looked away. "Pyrrha, what's wrong?"

"'What's wrong?!' Don't you understand what this means?!" she snapped, making him flinch. "Everything we've known about our world, its history, its stories, everything was a lie! A couple hours ago, I just learned that I was born with an unchangeable fate, that my mother was the same, and you were born to fight evil!"

"Pyrrha, what's gotten into you? Aren't you happy for me? I mean, I'm finally realizing my dream of becoming a hero!" Jaune protested.

"A hero?! Jaune, you're…You're weak! You're pathetic, you barely qualify as a Huntsman, let alone some mythical Paladin!" Jaune was hurt by her words, but he noticed that she was saying them with tears in her eyes and with flustered cheeks. "Why must it be you with the destiny to save our world?…Why couldn't it be me instead?" Pyrrha fell to her knees on the grass and began weeping. Jaune quickly got down to her level and pulled her into a hug, where she cried into his shoulder.

"You're worried about me, isn't that it?" he whispered. She quickly nodded and he hugged her tighter. "Look, I understand that this is serious, I get that, but understand that this is something I've dreamed about ever since I was a kid."

"You don't get it," Pyrrha sobbed, pulling back and showing her tear-ridden face. "You're a Paladin, and that means there are people out there who's sole purpose is to kill you and look at yourself; you can barely fight like a Huntsman even with my teachings and you have no control over your Draíochta; Gods, I can barely say that word."

Jaune lifted Pyrrha's chin up and dabbed at her eyes and cheeks with a red handkerchief, which happened to be Pyrrha's handkerchief that she gave him at the start of the Vytal Festival. "I know I'm weak, that's why I want you to come with me to help me train when I have to leave. I would've asked you to come had you not already ask Ozpin to allow you to. You've always believed in me that I could become a great Huntsman and leader, so believe in me that I can become a great Paladin too."

Pyrrha smiled and wiped at her eyes. "I'll always believe in you, Jaune, no matter what," she answered. Jaune could only marvel at the sight of seeing her smile again, filling him with happiness. He extended his hands to her and pulled her back into a hug, this time more loving and warm. "I…I love you, Jaune," she whispered into her ear.

Jaune knew that was true, and he understood why Pyrrha felt that way about him; he is her best friend, her first friend, and he was the first person who recognized her as a normal girl and not a Mistral champion, star athlete, or anything of the sort. He helped her learn to socialize with normal people and helped her build friendships that will last her a lifetime. As for Jaune, Pyrrha made him feel special; even before they were sorted into teams, she gave him confidence that he could succeed as a leader of his own team. She put her faith in him when no one else has done so in the past. Whenever Pyrrha was injured in combat, Jaune would always rush to her side to protect her with ferocity and determination, and whenever she was happy, mainly for his improvements and strides, it made him happy to see her like that. She became his first ever friend, and one that he will treasure his entire life. And right now, seeing her hold him and full of concern for him because of his newfound destiny, he knew that she was crying because she is scared that she might lose him, because of how important he was to her, just as how important she is to him, so Jaune had no trouble saying those same words back. "I love you too, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha pulled away, wide-eyed and her cheeks red like her hair. Jaune gave her a smirk, and her lips pulled back into one in return. She inched closer to him and he did the same. Both hovered mere inches from each other for a moment, as if hesitating, but then they closed together at the lips in a passionate, loving kiss. Jaune's arms wrapped tighter around Pyrrha's waist while her fingers dug into his back, desperate to hold on. Both stayed still for about a minute—yet it felt like an eternity for them both—before coming apart, both of them blushing a deep red. They both had their first kiss, and they both could not be happier with who they chose to give it to. "So, wanna go to the festival and have some fun before we return to our dorm for the night?" Jaune whispered.

"That sounds lovely," Pyrrha answered with a smile. Both got up and headed to the festival together hand in hand. "You know, this is technically a date," she told Jaune, who chuckled.

"I guess it is."

"We kinda got things out of order. You're usually supposed to take a girl on the date before kissing her."

"Hey, we learned about our destinies, we had a heart to heart moment, we hugged, then we kissed. I think that works just the same in my book." Pyrrha laughed and Jaune joined in with her.

The two had a wonderful time at the festival, taking part in some of the carnival games and snacks, of which Jaune won himself a small teddy bear at a ball throw game while Pyrrha then won a giant stuffed Beowolf, making Jaune's prize pale in comparison.

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At the end of the day, everyone returned to their dorms for the night. Team RWBY, after a busy day at the festival, all went straight to bed so Yang could get a full night's rest for her match against Mercury Black of Team CMEN tomorrow. Down the hall, Team LOST all went to bed, except for Tristan, who stayed up past midnight playing classic video games on his computer until Senna dragged him into his bed. "Wait, I'm so close to killing Lavos!" he whined before she shut off his game.

"You can kill Lavos after your singles match is over," Senna sighed.

"How can I focus on the match when I will have the fate of the world and the future lingering in my head?!" he shrieked.

"Will you shut up and go to sleep before I get the duct tape?" growled Olivia, who gave him an evil eye. Everyone went to sleep following that.

In Team JNPR's room, Nora was sprawled about in her bed snoring loudly and Ren was still and compact in his. Jaune was rolled off to the right side of his bed snoozing away when he felt something poke his cheek. Prying his eye open, he found Pyrrha next to his bed gently poking him. "Hi," she whispered, to which he moaned in response. "Um, would it be okay if I sleep with you tonight?" With it being so dark, Jaune could not see Pyrrha's flustered face. He lifted the covers and she slipped under next to him, where they inched closer and snuggled up to one another. "Jaune, I promise I will help you fulfill your destiny," she whispered to him.

"You've already done more than enough," he told her, his left hand brushing along her cheek. She took his right hand in hers and kissed it, then she laid herself to rest and fell into a deep sleep, with Jaune following her soon after.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **November 17th 1580**

The morning sun rose into the air and hung over Beacon. Jaune's alarm clock went off and Pyrrha reached over and hit the snooze button on reflex then snuggled herself against Jaune with a hum. "Good morning…" she mumbled to him while he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Mmm…morning…" he gave back. Both smiled and shifted a little in place, content to stay in bed a while longer. However, their sleeping peace was interrupted by a clearing of a throat, and both pried their eyes open to see Nora sitting at the base of the bed smiling to herself. Jaune and Pyrrha both knew that if Nora knew about this, then it was only a matter of time before Team RWBY, LOST, and anyone else curious enough to listen would know.

"I already sent pictures to RWBY and LOST, if you're wondering," Nora told him, reading the shock off their faces. "I think Weiss, Blake, Lucas, and Senna will owe me some money now, given that you two finally got the hint and got together before the end of the Vytal Festival." Nora let out a whistle and left the dorm.

"Oh, dear…" Pyrrha muttered.

"Well, I guess we better prepare ourselves for them before we go down to breakfast, huh?" Jaune suggested to her.

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The first round of the singles matches were to start with Yang of RWBY versus Mercury of CMEN. Team RWBY wished Yang the best of luck in the locker room. Across the arena in his locker room, Cinder and Emerald were with Mercury, who was gearing up for his fight. He rolled down his pant legs, covering up his cybernetic legs, and attached his gun greaves onto his ankles. "You know what to do, correct?" Cinder asked.

"Of course," he answered.

"Good luck out there," Emerald commented.

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The fight turned out to be worth the watch, with both fighters using similar styles of play yet different weapons, but in the end, Yang came out as the victor after hitting Mercury with a hard and fast series of punches that drained him of his Aura. "Nice try, better luck next time," Yang remarked to Mercury after the arena reseted, to which she walked away, heading for the locker room.

"There won't be a next time, blonde!" Mercury growled. He leapt to his feet and charged at Yang's back, leaping at her with his boot aimed for her head, but as soon as he drew near, Yang spun around and blocked his kick and followed with a punch to his knee, sending him to the floor screaming as the coliseum filled with cries from the audience.

"My Gods!" cried Oobleck.

"Cut the camera!" went Port.

Mercury lied on the floor whimpering in pain while clutching his knee. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Yang protested. Almost immediately, a small group of five Atlesian soldiers arrived on the scene and surrounded the two fighters.

"Stand down, Yang Xiao Long! We'll handle this!" ordered one soldier, who went to Mercury and dragged him up onto his feet. "You're in trouble, kid!" he told the teen.

"Are you alright, Yang Xiao Long? Are you hurt?" another soldier asked her, to which Yang assured her she was fine. The audience continued to boo and berate Mercury for his poor sportsmanship while Port and Oobleck commentated on what transpired as Mercury was escorted off the arena and Yang left to go be with her team; her victory was short-lived due to Mercury's actions, but Team RWBY was still pushed ahead to the next round.

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Outside of the kingdom walls all around, especially in the ruins of Mountain Glenn, the Grimm turned towards the floating coliseum, attracted by the negativity of the audience. The Grimm began grouping together and made their way towards the borders of Vale.

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The rest of the day continued as normal despite the outcome of the Yang versus Mercury match. Mercury and the rest of his team disappeared after the match, but no one was concerned about them, not with the next match coming up that afternoon: Pyrrha Nikos the Invincible Girl of Team JNPR versus Penny Polendina the Blade Puppeteer of Atlas.

Long before the match was set to start, Penny went to visit Ruby, where the two went to the festival to enjoy the afternoon. Team JNPR enjoyed the day with each other as well, spending time at the festival as well.

When the time came for the match, everyone eagerly headed to the coliseum and tuned into the match on their televisions for the upcoming epic fight. Ruby and Kyler both went to the coliseum to watch it together as well as catch up on Ruby's accomplishments since the beginning of the year. Yang chose to view the fight from the comfort of her dorm so she can rest in her comfy bed as well. Weiss and Blake chose to go out for coffee and tea out on the fairgrounds with the civilians and other students.

Far away and deep in the heart of Vale, Cinder and Mercury sat atop a tall building while Cinder watched the match on her scroll. "Things are going according to plan," she purred.

"This better be worth Yang pulverizing me in the ring though," Mercury scoffed. "I could've beaten her if I wanted to, you know."

"Just calm down, Mercury, this will definitely be worth all the time we had to wait. Thanks to my virus in the CCT, I was able to arrange all the fights to my liking, especially with the next one; how fitting to arrange a Paladin with the power to control metal against a machine." Cinder grinned as she watched the fight unfold, with Pyrrha leaping and dodging Penny's flying swords and laser beams.

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The battle grew more intense with each passing moment, and both Pyrrha and Penny showed no sign of giving in, nor could anyone predict who would come out as the victor yet. It eventually came to a point where Penny used her weapons to knock Pyrrha's Miló and Akoúo away and leaving her defenseless. A grinning Penny readied her swords above her head and prepared to attack. Nearby, Emerald stared directly at Pyrrha and activated her Semblance. Immediately, Penny's swords instantly transformed into dozens, hundreds, and what appeared to be thousands to Pyrrha, which scared her. She quickly regained herself and charged up a force field blast of Polarity and blasted it towards Penny. The polarity blast flew Penny's blades away—all five of them in reality—and caused the wired strings attached to the swords to snag around Penny's body. The polarity blast affected Penny's internal systems, making her lurch forward and cry and cause the strings to dismember her, cutting her body in half and her right arm as well. The entire audience screamed in shock and fear at what they had witnessed and Pyrrha staggered backwards with her hands on her mouth, looking as though she was about to be sick to her stomach.

In the crowd, Ruby fell out of her seat and began weeping on the floor, horrified at what she had witnessed. "P-Penny…" she sobbed. Kyler went down and pulled her into his arms and burrowed her face into his chest. "Don't look at it…" he warned her, brushing her hair with his hand.

"Shut the cameras off!" Port ordered.

"We can't! Someone has hacked the cameras!" Oobleck argued.

"Who on…!" The giant television screens suddenly cut to static then turned to a blood red background depicting a black queen chess piece.

"Hello, citizens of Remnant," said Cinder's voice. "I hope you are all enjoying the Vytal Festival Tournament as much as I have, though I doubt you are having a good time given what you have witnessed; the murder of a creature born of men's hands at the hands of the Gods' chosen Dànsling. Now, I ask of you, why do you entrust your lives in children trained to be warriors yet you pit them in battle against each other for the sake of entertainment? Why does Atlas, the powerhouse of military power, build a synthetic girl that acts human yet is not, and enter it into your competition if not to proclaim the might of their power?"

"Somebody shut this off!" yelled Port.

"You honor your so-called 'heroes' when they save your life by murdering others. Heroes like your legendary Kyler Carnaid, who is here in the coliseum right now." Kyler released Ruby and stood up to face the crowd. The center television screen flicked to show him on screen. "You praise this hero for his numerous accomplishments, yet you ignore all the evils he has done in the past." Kyler took a deep breath and clenched his fists tight, but he gave no counter attack in response. "I have seen the evils of you mortals for a long time, and as per my Goddess' desires, I am now taking action. Today, Vale and humanity will fall to the Grimm." The television screens ceased function and promptly shut down. Everyone in the audience was terrified, and became more so when a giant Nevermore, a Stage 6 one, landed down on top of the invisible barrier atop the arena. Everyone screamed and began running for the airships, all except the Huntsmen and Atlesian soldiers stationed there, who began escorting all the civilians to the airships. Kyler, Ruby, and all her classmates remained put, ready to fight, even without their weapons.

Pyrrha remained frozen to the spot as she was transfixed upon the remains of Penny, who's robotic eyes were open forever with a dead gaze. All she could think about was that she killed her in cold blood, not even noticing as the giant Nevermore broke through the barrier and landed onto the arena. The creature let out a ferocious caw.

"PYRRHA! GET OUT OF THERE, PYRRHA!" Jaune screamed at her from the audience. When he saw that she was not going to move, he leapt over the barrier and ran out after her while Nora yelled after him. "RUN, PYRRHA!" Jaune sprinted as fast as he could as the Nevermore went towards Pyrrha. When he reached her, he tried carrying her off, but Pyrrha refused to move. "PYRRHA, WE GOTTA GO!" he yelled directly at her, to which she did not respond. The Nevermore drew closer, its beak open ready to snatch them up. Jaune did not what to do, even being a Paladin, so he did the only thing he could think of: pray.

 _Lady Aziela, please help me. Help me protect Pyrrha._ he prayed as he held Pyrrha close to him.

 _"There is no need. Help is already with you, Jaune Arc,"_ said the voice of Aziela inside his head. Almost immediately, a blur of red flashed through the air and struck at the Nevermore. The blur fell to the floor, revealing itself to be Ruby gripping one of Penny's swords. "LEAVE THEM ALONE!" she shouted at the Nevermore. Kyler swooped in as well with his sword Bloody Tears and flew at the Nevermore, where he swung his blade and severed off its beak in one clean swipe, sending black blood spraying across the arena.

"Lord Oum, give me the power to kill this monster here and now," Kyler prayed after landing. His entire body glowed red with his Draíochta and he swung his hand outward, where a burst of blood red balls of energy flew out and struck the Nevermore, making it scream out and fall dead.

After the Nevermore disintegrated, Ruby went to Pyrrha to help her.

"Ruby…I…I didn't…I'm so sorry!" Pyrrha whimpered to her.

"Don't be sorry, Pyrrha, it wasn't your fault," Jaune assured her. "Whoever hacked into the television systems is responsible for Penny's death, and we're going to stop her."

The students called in their weapon lockers and geared up. "We have to get to Vale and defend the city," Kyler told everyone after gathering together. "Let's get to the airships and head down to Vale." Everyone went towards one of the tunnels that lead to the airship station as dozens of Nevermore and Griffon Grimm began descending down into the arena. Outside at the airship station, Atlesian Knights were attacking the Grimm while soldiers escorted civilians onto the airships while protecting them. Ironwood had just thrown a Stage 5 Beowolf Major over his shoulder and fired four shots from his revolver into its skull.

"Kyler, over here!" he called out to the Huntsman, who went to him. "Look, I need your help. Roman Torchwick, who I've been holding captive on my ship has somehow escaped and he's taken over my ship and is attacking my fleet. I need you to get aboard my ship and stop him at all costs." Kyler nodded and ordered all the students to get aboard a ship. Ruby, however, stayed behind.

"I've fought with Torchwick before, and he is tougher than you think he is," she told Kyler. "Plus, if he's escaped, then there's a chance Neo might be with him. Let me come with you, Mister Wolf."

Kyler took a long look at the little girl before him. "It'll be dangerous, you know. Are you sure you're up for this?"

"More than anything." Kyler smiled and accepted her request. "I've got an idea for how we can get to the airship without being fired on by Torchwick too!" she told him, grabbing his hand and leading him back to the arena. Ironwood watched them go, then boarded his personal airship and took off for Vale.

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Up in the air, Roman and Neo stood at the main controls on the bridge. Neo was dressed as an Atlesian officer while Roman was pushing several buttons, trying to figure out how the controls work. He eventually found the controls to the cannons and fired them upon the neighboring Atlesian ships. "Woo! Now that's how you get business done!" Roman whooped.

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With the Atlesian fleet out of commission, a large number of bullheads flew through the sky and touched down into the Vale airship yard and at a number of locations. Several opened up, where a large number of Grimm filed out and went into the city, attacking civilians. The rest opened, revealing Adam Taurus and the White Fang. "Go kill as many Humans as you can find!" he ordered everyone. "If you find Blake, notify me immediately! She's mine!" Everyone saluted him and went off.

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Down in the festival grounds, Weiss, Blake, and Team BRNZ had called in their lockers and began defending civilians from the Grimm. Weiss froze several Grimm into ice, Blake shot and sliced up a few Grimm on her own, May took up position upon a snack stand and picked off Grimm at a distance, and Brawnz beat a Grim to a pulp. Roy sliced an Ursa's neck, but he hear a loud caw behind him. Upon turning around, he came face to face with a Stage 5 Nevermore, which snatched him into its beak and took flight.

"ROY! ROY!" Brawnz cried out, chasing after the Nevermore. Inside its beak, Roy tried prying himself free, but the creature's jaw was too strong. May aimed towards the sky and fired upon the flying Grimm, but her bullets barely fazed it. The Nevermore let out a caw and snapped its beak shut, splitting Roy's body in half, sending the halves tumbling down to the ground in a bloody fashion. "ROY!" his entire team screamed. When his body landed, a few Beowolves converged upon it and began feasting.

"WE GOTTA GO!" Weiss yelled at Team BRNZ. Her and Blake ran to them and pulled them away. "THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO FOR HIM!" The five ran away to a safer location, where Blake called up Yang on her scroll.

"Yang, are you okay?" Blake spoke.

"I'm fine, I'm at Beacon, but I can see Grimm flooding the city and coming towards Beacon! And I can see the White Fang too!"

"The White Fang is here?!"

"Yeah! Hey, is Ruby with you two?"

"No, she was at the coliseum for the match." Yang went silent on the other end. "Yang, I'm sure she's okay. She can handle herself. We're gonna get to Beacon as soon as possible." Blake hung up and the five headed for Beacon.

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The airship carrying all the students settled down near Beacon and everyone disembarked. "What are we supposed to do?!" cried Octavia of Team NDGO. "How are we supposed to defend Beacon?! We're just students!" A couple other students joined in with her and were ready to abandon the others to save themselves.

"Are you seriously going to just run away?" Jaune called to them. Everyone turned to see him standing upon the statue memorial in front of Beacon, where he stood next to the swordsman with his own sword drawn. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm staying to defend the city, no matter what happens! We are the defenders of Remnant, and it is our mission to protect the four kingdoms and its citizens from the Grimm and anything else that dares threaten them! And that threat is coming now! We may be inexperienced, we may be children, but that is what our enemies are expecting! They think that we will run to save ourselves while they take this city, and I say that we prove them wrong! Let us show them that we are Huntsmen and Huntresses, and that we will not give Vale to them so easily, not without a fight!" Several students raised their weapons and cheered.

"But what if we die?!" questioned Octavia. At that moment, Weiss, Blake, and the remains of Team BRNZ joined them.

"We have been training for the day we die for years, Octavia!" Jaune proclaimed. "But we have been training for that day not so we die on it, but so we can survive that day and tell Death 'not today' and fight for another day! I do not intend to die today! I intend to live and fight the creatures of Grimm until my sword must be pried from my hands!" A few more students joined in cheering now, including Team NDGO. "I ask all of you to stand by me and fight! Fight to defend Vale! Fight to survive! Fight to show the darkness that we will not go so quietly! Fight for your friends, your family, and those you love and care about! Fight because it is your duty as a Huntsman and Huntress!" Everyone was now cheering for Jaune.

"I will fight by your side until the very end, Jaune!" Pyrrha proclaimed, stepping forward.

"I will go with you to the ends of the world, if need be," spoke Ren, stepping forward.

"It wouldn't be any fun to run away now!" shouted Nora, who stepped forward.

"I will follow you into battle, Jaune Arc!" called Weiss, who came forward.

"I've been a Lawful Mercenary all my life, so this is second nature for me, so count me in," said Olivia Marquette.

"Vale is all I've got left to call home," spoke Lucas Dias as he stepped forward.

"Don't count on me running," said Senna Raleigh.

"I'm looking to have some fun before crap hits the fan," grinned Tristan Cortes.

One by one, everyone else stepped forward, even those who debated running to save themselves, and they proclaimed Jaune as their leader. "Looks like you're doing pretty good as a leader so far, Dànsling," Pyrrha told him with a smile, which he returned.

Jaune's scroll suddenly rang and it was Ozpin. "Jaune, I saw what you did there, and I am impressed. I'm sending you Ironwood's scroll number. I've already notified him that you are leading the defense at Beacon. Get information from him on the situations within Vale and plan accordingly. Good luck, Dànsling," Ozpin told him before hanging up. Ironwood's number flashed onscreen and Jaune tapped it, linking him straight to Ironwood.

"Jaune Arc, I do not know why Ozpin entrusts you with the safety of Beacon, but if he trusts you, then so shall I," Ironwood told him. "I'm heading for Vale to assist a group of Atlesian Knights and Paladins, and I've called in reinforcements, but there's no safe place for the airships to land. I need you and your fellow students to clear out the western docks to give the ships space to land. There's a squadron of soldiers west of Beacon; contact them and take them to the docks so they can help guide the airships where to land. Maintain protection at Beacon; if the tower falls, then we'll lose all communications. I'm counting on you, Arc." Ironwood ended the call.

"Everyone, I need a group to head to the harbor to clear the Grimm as well as find a group of soldiers who need, but some of us need to stay here at Beacon to protect the tower. I need some volunteers to go to the docks," Jaune told everyone.

"I will go," Nebula Violette stated. Dew Gayl joined her, as did May Zedong, Nolan Porfirio, Olivia Marquette, Tristan Cortes, and Nadir Shiko. They all set off for the west.

"Okay, now we need to clear a path to the nearest evacuation location in the event we need to retreat." Jaune brought up his map on his scroll. "The logical locations would be the district airship yards, so keep that in mind, everyone." A loud roar echoed near and everyone turned to see Grimm coming towards them. "And here come the monsters." Jaune drew Crocea Mors and took point. "Everyone get ready!" Everyone drew their weapons and spread out. As the Grimm drew closer, everyone charged forward, following Jaune into certain death.

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Up in his tower, after he had called Jaune, Ozpin quickly scrolled through his contacts on his computer and selected a special, unknown number, which required a passcode. He entered the code and a series of video boxes appeared onscreen, each of them buzzing as he attempted to reach the recipients. Finally, everyone answered, showing Qrow Branwen, Taiyang Xiao Long, Pandora Nikos, Blanche Arc, Gris Ducit, Forrester Shinegate of Glas Radiance, Chara Raleigh, as well as Grace Evergreen and Pecado Midnight. "I need all of you to come to Vale as quickly as possible to help protect Vale from the Grimm," he simply told them. "Grace, Pecado, bring as many Huntsmen and Huntresses as you can. I shall be waiting.

"I'm already on the move towards Vale with my team, Oz. We left as soon as we saw the Grimm attack on the televisions," Forrester added.

"Always quick on the dot, Forrester," Ozpin complimented before logging off. He grabbed his cane and headed down to meet with Jaune and the students.

Down on the ground floor, Jaune and his group were holding out against the Grimm, with none of the monsters ever touching Beacon itself. Ozpin watched Jaune duck under an Ursa Major's claw swipe and leap onto its back, where he plunged his sword through its head and leapt off. "You are performing admirably," Ozpin noted to him. Ozpin spun his cane around in his hand and held it high, where a dome of emerald energy emitted from his body and expanded outward, enveloping all of Beacon, the students, and the Grimm. The Grimm all let out a painful screech before they all suddenly burst into Dust and faded away. Ozpin fell to one knee, but Jaune held him up. "Thank you, Jaune. Using that sort of power takes the wind out of me a bit, given my old age."

"Ozpin, sir, you don't even look a day over a thousand," Jaune joked, to which Ozpin chuckled as everyone else gathered near the two.

"Jaune, the Grimm are coming in stronger numbers and there's a large group of White Fang with them heading towards Beacon," Ozpin warned him. Jaune nodded and got up. Ozpin beckoned Pyrrha to him and had her lift him up. "I need you to come with me to my office; I need some help." Jaune did not hesitate in telling Pyrrha to go before he turned back to his fellow classmates.

"Everyone, did you hear that? Grimm and White Fang are coming! I know you all have fought the Grimm plenty of times before today, but I know many of you have not fought the White Fang, and I must stress it to all of you not to hesitate in killing any of them! You may hesitate, but they certainly will not, and if you do, they _will_ kill you!"

"Okay, so everyone but us, Huntsmen, and Artesian soldiers are trying to kill us, sounds simple enough," Lucas called out.

"Jaune, Yang is still here at Beacon. I gotta find her," Blake told him. Jaune let her go and Blake dashed off towards Beacon Cafeteria to start looking while everyone prepared again for battle. Jaune called up Olivia on his scroll. "Olivia, are you guys any closer to clearing out the docks yet?"

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"Hey, it's not a picnic over here, ya know!" Olivia told him as she fired a few shots from Prime into a stage 3 Ursa, killing it. "We've grouped up with those Atlesian soldiers and we're at the docks now, but it's swarming here. I'll call you back when we're finished." Olivia hung up and switched to Eclipse and emptied its magazine into a few Grimm and smashed the butt of the rifle into a small Ursa that got close to her, denting her rifle into two. "Aw, shit! I need a new rifle!"

"Here!" one soldier yelled, passing her an assault rifle from a fallen soldier and several magazines. Olivia loaded up and went back to killing.

May sat up on top of a small building sniping away at Grimm while Nolan and an Atlesian soldier remained by her side as her spotters, attacking any Grimm that tried climbing up to get them. Tristan, Nebula, and Nadir worked side by side with a few soldiers shooting down Grimm with their Aura arrows, bolts, and guns. Within time, the Grimm masses began dwindling to a small handful, which were easily taken out. The Atlesian soldier on the roof with May popped a green smoke from two canisters and waved them up in the air, awaiting the arrival of the reinforcements, which soon touched down and fifty soldiers, a few dozen Atlesian Knights, a few Atlesian Paladin MK2s, and three armored warthogs with machine guns, one of which had a cannon rifle instead of a machine gun. "I call the cannon!" Olivia yelled, leaping upon onto the spot and wrapping her hands around the triggers. "Woot! Bitches love cannons!" she screamed as they headed towards Beacon.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Up in the sky, Roman uploaded a special scroll containing a virus into the Atlesian mainframe, which quickly spread out and began infecting the Atlesian Knights and Paladins in Vale. "Now this is where things get interesting," Roman commented while Neo simply smiled and skipped around.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Down on the ground, all of the Atlesian Knights and Paladins suddenly ceased function for a brief moment before their faceplates suddenly began glowing a blood red and they turned on their fellow soldiers and began attacking them, forcing them to retreat while civilians screamed in terror and ran.

In his small airship, the Atlesian Knights stored in the back of the ship activated and drew their guns on Ironwood, who screamed in protest just as they opened fire and destroyed the controls, sending the ship crashing down into a few buildings.

With the docks team, the Knights suddenly turned on the others, forcing everyone to pile into the warthogs and take off while a few soldiers stayed behind to take out the Knights, but they were quickly shot down and killed. Just as the young Huntsmen and Huntresses piled into a machine gun warthog, one Knight fired a shot from a sniper rifle, where the bullet struck Nolan in the head, sending him tumbling to the ground dead. The others screamed for Nolan and May tried to drag him into the warthog. "NO! Leave him! We don't have time! They're already firing on us!" Olivia shouted at her from the driver's seat before she twisted the stick shift and slammed her foot on one of the six pedals, sending them screaming forward with the other two warthogs behind her stuffed with Atlesian soldiers. Olivia called up Jaune immediately. "Jaune! We are under attack by Atlesian Knights! Do not approach near the Atlesian Knights! I repeat, DO NOT APPROACH THE ATLESIAN KNIGHTS!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked her while he cut down a Beowolf.

"Something is affecting the Atlesian androids and they're attacking us! We're heading towards you right now with the Atlesian reinforcements, but our numbers got cut by the sudden attack!" Olivia hung up and continued driving and while doing so, May smacked her shoulder.

"Why did you do that?!" she roared. "Why did you make us leave Nolan?!"

"He was gonna slow us down!" Olivia shot at her. "If we stayed still any longer to lift his body into the warthog, more of us would've been shot, and I'm not letting any of us get killed over a dead body!"

"He's my friend!"

"And he's dead, May, and plenty of other people will die today too, so we gotta focus on staying alive instead of on our dead!" That hushed up May, allowing Olivia to concentrate on the road while Tristan and Nadir kept their weapons ready to attack any nearby Grimm.

They all arrived at Beacon and unloaded, where they took positions and began attacking the Grimm and White Fang thugs. Brawnz questioned May where Nolan was, but her silence told him everything. Brawnz went to Olivia and punched her, to which the rest of Team LOST went to her to defend her. "Enough of this! You can argue about this after we're safe!" Senna yelled at Brawnz, who huffed and went back into position.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

High above the destruction and mayhem on a tall building, Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury all stood together watching everything unfold while Mercury recorded it all on his scroll, which was broadcasted across all four of the kingdoms, especially with the Atlesian Knights and Paladins attacking civilians. Emerald spotted the students at Beacon giving their all, even with the destruction all around them and the Grimm forces growing more and more. "It's…tragic…" she noted, feeling sadness for them all.

"It's horrendous," Cinder purred as she stepped in front of Mercury so she would appear on the video feeds. "You see what is happening now, Atlas? Your so-called mighty military has fallen under my control, and you have no one to blame but yourselves for believing that machines can be more powerful and reliable than a human. Watch as your army kill your civilians and destroy Vale alongside the Grimm while you sit back and watch in horror." Suddenly, the entire city shook and quaked. "And now, an ancient horror is awakening, birthed by the combined horror and death within this city." Cinder slipped an evil grin as her eyes glowed with an eerie light.

Far off to the east of Vale, a nearby mountain shook multiple times, and the peak cracked open before a large draconic Grimm burst from it with a thunderous roar. The Grimm Dragon took flight and headed straight for Vale as large blobs of dark matter formed from its stomach and fell, where the blobs turned into Beowolves, Ursai, and Creeps, all at least Stage 3, and these Grimm followed after the Grimm Dragon.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Blake ran all over Beacon looking for Yang, constantly calling out her name while cutting down a couple Grimm that came at her. Eventually, she came upon the cafeteria, which was in shambles and on fire. She heard a cry from inside and looked through a broken window, where she gasped. Adam was inside and he has just stabbed an Atlesian soldier with his katana. He spotted her just as she hid behind a wall. "I know you're there, Blake, so come on out! Don't run away from me again!" he called to her. He went to a nearby fallen Atlesian soldier and slammed his boot onto his chest, making him cry out. "I will kill this human if you don't come out!" Blake activated her Shadow Semblance and appeared directly in front of Adam with Gambol Shroud drawn and the two clashed blades together, but they quickly broke apart and separated.

"Why are you doing this, Adam?!" she questioned him.

"You and I were going to change this world, remember? We promised each other years ago that we will work together be the fires of the revolution! _This_ is the spark of that revolution! Humanity will now know that belittling us and deeming us as inferior creatures was their gravest mistake!" he retorted.

Blake narrowed her eyes and charged at him. Adam slashed Wilt at her, but Blake turned into a shadow and appeared behind him swinging her sword at him, to which he blocked using the scabbard of Blush then swung Wilt again, this time shattering Gambol Shroud to pieces and then he kicked Blake down to the floor. A Creep appeared inside the cafeteria and lunged for Blake, but Adam shot it dead before it could get near her. "You betrayed me, you betrayed the White Fang that was your home, and you betrayed your people, just like every other Faunus that defies us, and I will make sure you suffer for your crimes before you die." He stomped down onto her, making her cry out. "This could've been our day! We could've been standing together victorious while Humans ran in fear from us! Isn't this what you wanted?!"

"I never wanted this! I wanted equality and peace between Humans and Faunus!" Blake cried to him. She transformed the remains of her blade into its gun form and fired at him, but Adam absorbed the bullets with Wilt, making the blade glow a crimson red, then he kicked the gun away from her and stomped down onto her again.

"WAHT YOU WANT IS IMPOSSIBLE! HUMANS WILL NEVER SEE US AS MORE THAN THE FILTHY ANIMALS THAT THEY THINK WE ARE!" Adam yelled at her. Blake tried to force herself up, but he merely slapped her until she fell again. Adam reached down and tore her ribbon off, revealing her Faunus ears. "You claim you want peace, yet you hide your true self from everyone around you. Perhaps, since you desire to live among Humans so much, I should cut your ears off and turn you into a damaged creature forced to live among them, so they can see what you are and hate you for it." Adam grabbed Blake by her neck and lifted her into the air while his hand went into his coat and pulled out a pocket knife. Blake thrashed, kicked, and screamed as the knife drew nearer to her ears, but to no avail. Then, just as sudden as Adam started, his hand retreated and he dropped Blake to the floor. "No, I won't damage you, not like that. I'll let you live just this once, but know this, Blake, while I set upon this world and deliver the justice that humanity so greatly deserves in the name of Sheena, I will make it my personal mission to destroy everyone and everything you love and hold dear, and when you are left with nothing, I will end your life then and there when you are at your lowest, most miserable form."

"BLAKE! BLAKE! WHERE ARE YOU?!" yelled Yang from nearby. Adam turned and saw the blonde brawler take down an Ursa and a White Fang thug and call for Blake again. Adam glanced at Blake and saw the horror in her eyes.

"I shall start with her," Adam hissed coldly.

"NO! DON'T HURT HER! SHE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG!" Blake screeched at him, grabbing at his boot, to which he shook her off.

"She's committed the crime of being Human, as well as forming a close bond with you."

"ADAM, PLEASE!" Adam quickly drew Wilt and plunged it into Blake's stomach, making her scream in agony. The wound bled, but the sword did not pierce her completely.

"I won't kill you with this, but think of this as a memento from me," he told her before retrieving his blade and facing Yang, who heard the scream.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Yang screamed and activated her Semblance, enveloping herself completely in fire. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and flew at Adam at a supersonic speed with Ember Celica armed for a deadly shot.

 _She thinks she can stand up to the Murtsling,_ Adam thought with a grin. As Yang drew near, Adam drew Wilt at equal speed and his sword cut through Yang, making her spiral out of her attack charge. Her right arm detached from her body as a shower of yellow Aura sprinkled through the air as she tumbled down to the floor unconscious. Her wound glowed a bright yellow, having sealed itself up with her Aura. Blake let out a scream and ran for Yang's side, holding onto her limp body as she wept over her. Adam drew close with his sword in hand, but Blake kept herself between him and Yang. "Do you really intend to continue hurting me like this, Blake?" Blake said nothing, instead protecting Yang with one hand while the other clutched her stab wound as tears streaked down her cheeks. "Blake…I love you, I still do…"

"Well, I don't! The Adam I loved is dead! He died when you returned home with that heart tattoo and that sword! I could not love the new you after that, not when you became a monster!"

"You…think I am a monster?" he asked her.

"You're worse than that! You're worse than the Grimm!"

Adam hesitated for a moment, as if pondering what she said, then he swiped Wilt at her, decapitating her instantly, but then Blake's body turned black and disappeared as well as Yang's. Adam turned and saw Blake limping away with Yang over her shoulder. Blake stole a quickly glance at Adam, who did not give chase, and continued to run. Adam sighed and made his way back to the rest of his convey, where he ordered a retreat. "We've done what we came here for," he would tell his troops before they all herded onto the bullheads and took off.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby's plan for her and Kyler to reach Ironwood's airship involved riding her rocket locker up into the air and jumping onto the ship, which was a complete success, with both of them on the roof with a swarm of Griffons flying around them. They both peered over the edge—with Kyler holding Ruby back so she would not fall—and saw the city under attack. "We need to get to the bridge and take out Roman and Neo if we intend to stop this ship," Kyler notified her. They both headed towards a hatch that would lead into the ship's interior, but then they heard a sound behind them. They turned and found Neo behind them, snapping pictures with her scroll, which she sent to Roman straight away, then she activated her Draíochta, causing her Atlesian clothes to strip away like shedding scales and replaced with her usual clothes. Overhead, the Grimm Dragon flew through the sky towards Beacon, where it tore through the tower's roof and sending it into shambles. "NO!" Kyler screamed. He watched the Grimm Dragon circle around and fly around the city for a while before he turned to Ruby. "Ruby, I need you to destroy this ship as fast as possible, then I need you to skydive into Beacon Tower, do you understand? You have to protect the tower!" Ruby rapidly nodded, to which Kyler hugged her tight and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Ruby, remember that." This confused Ruby for a moment, but then Kyler broke from her and dashed towards Neo, who did not anticipate this. Kyler slide kicked Neo, knocking her down and tumbling towards the edge of the ship, but that was what he wanted as he leapt onto Neo, making them both fall over the edge.

"MISTER WOLF!" Ruby cried, dashing to the edge and watching them fade down below.

"NEO!" cried Roman, who had just arrived. He turned towards Ruby with a growl and began attacking her.

In the air, Kyler and Neo twisted and tumbled through the air mixed up with each other. Kyler held on for a while longer before he released himself from Neo and continued his plummet down towards the earth while Neo deployed her parasol and drifted through the air, floating down towards the Residential District near Beacon. Kyler would land down in the Industrial District near where Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood were located, the latter of whom survived his airship crash thanks to the half of his body covered in cybernetic enhancements, and regroup with them, where he told them they had to head for Beacon where the Grimm Dragon was.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In Beacon Tower, Ozpin was at his computer arranging something while Pyrrha stood guard with Miló and Akoúo̱ in hand. The Grimm Dragon made a beeline straight for the tower and let out a roar, which caught both of their attention. "PYRRHA, GET DOWN!" Ozpin shouted, leaping at her and pulling her down to the floor just as the Grimm Dragon crashed through the tower, sending pieces of the roof onto the tower floor and tumbling down to the ground below.

Down on the ground, Jaune yelled for everyone to run from the falling debris. Sky Lark of CRDL was unfortunately crushed by a giant cog. Cardin raced towards his friend, but Jaune held him back, for several Grimm had already gone to the body to dig it out and feast. "It's too late, Cardin!" Jaune shouted as he dragged him back. Above them, the Grimm Dragon flew overhead and let out a menacing roar while more Grimm and Atlesian Knights began converging onto Beacon, and in greater numbers. "There's too many of them…RETREAT! RETREAT! EVERYONE GET TO THE AIRSHIPS! RETREAT!" Jaune ordered. He gathered everyone together and had them load up onto the warthogs. "GET TO THE AIRSHIPS!" He ordered everyone, but he did not get into a warthog.

"Jaune, what about you?" went Cardin.

"Pyrrha and Ozpin are at the top of the tower, I need to get them out of there. I'll meet up with you guys later…" he told them. He was about to walk off, but he turned back. "…If I don't arrive at the airships within an hour, take off without me, that's an order."

"I'm coming with you!" Weiss added, hoping off the warthog. Jaune did not argue and took her with him. Everyone headed off while they ran inside Beacon Tower. They found the elevator box torn to pieces and in ruins, forcing them to have to climb through it and go up the service ladder inside.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby dueled with Roman atop the airship, even with the Griffons flying around, some of which landed to attack them, which they both took out together to save themselves. "Roman, why are you doing this?!" Ruby questioned. "What do you get out of this?! People are dying down in the city, and you're helping evil people!"

"Do you not get it already, Little Red?!" he yelled at her. "I'm not doing this because of what I get out of it, but because of what I could lose if I don't! I kill, cheat, and steal so I can survive, nothing more!" Roman reloaded his cane and aimed at Ruby. "Sorry, kid, but I gotta do this, though I'd rather keep you alive for my entertainment!" He fired off a few shots at Ruby, who dodged them, and he began to laugh, but he did not notice the large Stage 5 Griffon that landed behind him.

"LOOK OUT, ROMAN!" Ruby warned, running towards him, but it was too late. Just as he spun around and cried out, the Griffon lunged forward and snatched Roman into its mouth, swallowing him whole. Ruby gasped, horrified at what she saw, but she quickly regained herself for the Griffon then charged directly for her. Ruby stole a quick glance at the ship's bridge behind and activated her Semblance, dashing straight for her and forcing the Griffon to pick up speed. When Ruby reached the bridge, she skidded to a stop and waited for the Griffon to come near. When it did, Ruby leapt straight up into the air with a few shots, making the Griffon crash directly into the bridge and sending the whole ship into flames. Ruby landed and stumbled as the ships teetered and rocked back and forth, where it slowly decreased in altitude and headed for the nearby ocean. Ruby waited for the ship to pass over Beacon, where she jumped down onto Beacon and skydived down towards the tower's roof, which was in shambles. Down below, she could see bursts of fire and things moving around down below.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

After the Grimm Dragon burst through the tower's roof, Cinder Fall appeared in Ozpin's office in a blur of dark energy. "Hello, Ozpin," Cinder called to him. Ozpin and Pyrrha sprang to their feet, with the old headmaster blocking Pyrrha from the Wytch. "Give me the Dànsling and I will let you live."

"I won't let you have me without a fight first!" Pyrrha yelled at her without hesitation, determined to falsify her goal.

"So be it." Cinder rose into the air using her Draíochta and made a ring of fireballs materialize around her and began firing. Ozpin drew his cane and swung at every fireball, where they were extinguished immediately. Cinder flew straight for Ozpin, plowing directly into him and sending them both tumbling out of the tower.

"OZPIN!" Pyrrha screamed, rushing straight for the edge. She saw Cinder and Ozpin rise up into the air. Cinder's hands glowed with fire while Ozpin glowed an emerald green, his Draíochta. Both struggled with each other for a minute before Ozpin's grunts turned to screams and Cinder's evil smile grew wider.

"IT'S OVER, OZPIN!" Cinder shouted as she made Ozpin's entire body turn a bright fiery orange, then his entire body dissolved into ashes and faded into the wind.

"NO!" Pyrrha screamed, switching Miló to its rifle form and opened fire, where Cinder merely blocked each bullet with her hand before flying at Pyrrha, where she grabbed her by the throat and dragged her across the floor before throwing her against a wall, sapping away her Draíochta. Pyrrha leapt to her feet and swung Akoúo̱ like a frisbee, but Cinder merely smacked it away, but this distracted her, allowing Pyrrha time to lift the giant cogs of the tower with her Polarity, and she smashed each one down onto Cinder, burying her underneath. The pile of cogs suddenly glowed with a fiery color and the cogs burst outward, one of which struck Pyrrha and drained her Draíochta completely in the damage absorption. Pyrrha fell to the floor while Cinder stood up, completely unharmed, but Pyrrha quickly dashed at her with Miló in its xiphos form and swiped at her, but could not make contact. Cinder grabbed Miló by the blade and after applying Draíochta into her hand, she shattered the xiphos with a simple squeeze and pushed Pyrrha to the ground near where Akoúo̱ lied. Cinder materialized her bow from thin air and nocked a glass arrow aimed straight for Pyrrha, but Pyrrha quickly grabbed Akoúo̱ and flung it at her just as Cinder released the arrow. Both projectiles clashed in midair causing the arrow to shatter to pieces, but it quickly reformed around the shield and continued its path, where it flew and pierced Pyrrha's achilleas tendon. Pyrrha fell, screaming in agony and clutching at her ankle while Cinder smiled and circled around her while the Grimm Dragon returned and perched itself on the tower's edge.

"I expected better from the girl destined to be Aziela's Paladin, even when she was groomed and trained for the life of a hero since the day she was born," Cinder commented with a smile. "And yet, you failed, and this will be the day you fall."

"You're wrong," Pyrrha retorted, lifting herself up to stare at her. "I was…I was never meant to be a hero, but…someone else is, someone I trust, and when the day comes…he will kill you."

"Are you by chance speaking about that leader you follow around like a lovesick puppy? Ha! I have seen him fight, and he is pathetic!" Cinder laughed. "However, I admire your faith in the boy, passing on your teachings and your will onto him so he can be a so-called hero, but let me tell you this, Pyrrha Nikos, after this day is over, there will be no hero who will rise above me or the Dark Paladins." Cinder stood up and nocked another arrow, this one aimed straight for Pyrrha's heart. The arrow glowed a bright red for a brief moment. Ruby finally landed within the tower and rose up from the floor.

 _I love you, Jaune…I will always love you…I'm sorry…_ Pyrrha thought just before the arrow pierced her heart, making her gasp in pain. Ruby was frozen to the spot, only able to watch. The arrow pierced Pyrrha's heart and was sticking out of her back while she choked on the remaining air in her lungs as her chest wound glowed with red energy and small wisps of red energy emitted from the arrow before her. Cinder smiled and approached the girl, where she clasped a hand to her hand and turned Pyrrha's entire body a bright orange, like she did with Ozpin, and then she turned into dust and faded away, leaving only her circlet behind, which Cinder dropped to the floor.

"PYRRHA!" Ruby screamed, earning Cinder's attention. Ruby felt her entire body grow hot—burning hot—as a strange feeling welt up within her and began rising. Suddenly, everything went white but she could hear the Grimm Dragon's screech and Cinder's yells, and then she knew no more.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The remaining students and soldiers reached the airship location in time before the ships were to take off and everyone loaded into them while the soldiers stayed behind with Port and Oobleck, who stayed behind to ensure everyone got on safely. Blake and Yang were immediately taken by Atlesian medics and tended to, with Blake's wound addressed and patched up and Yang's arm cleaned and wrapped in bandages. Arslan Altan carried the dead body of her teammate Nadir, who was shot in the head by a White Fang thug. Tristan carried a young girl dressed in black with black twin tails and green eyes; Tristan found her wandering the streets and took her with him, and upon asking her name, she spelled out "Mint" with her finger. He held her in his arms the entire time, determined to protect the young girl.

"Hey, look at that!" May Zedong called from the airship's cargo door. Everyone hustled out to find the top of Beacon Tower enveloped in a strange bright, white light. "What is that?" Everyone had no idea what the bright light was, but everyone was instantly worried for Jaune, Weiss, and Pyrrha, who were supposed to be up in the tower.

In the Residential District, Kyler, Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood saw the bright light at the top of the tower and the former three instantly what it was. Kyler ordered Glynda and Ironwood to go to the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Atlesian soldiers and order them out of the city to where the students and civilians are being taken while he and Qrow get to the tower. "You ready to do this, Kyler?" Qrow asked him after Glynda and Ironwood left.

"Not particularly. I haven't flown in ages; you know I prefer to run," Kyler remarked while cracking his fingers.

"You get used to flying after a while." Qrow's body turned a deep black and his body shrank in size and morphed into that of a crow's. Qrow glanced up at Kyler with his beady eyes and let out a caw. Kyler sighed and followed suit, morphing into a large black bird with a red tail. Both took flight and flew straight for the tower.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and Weiss reached the top of the tower, but the elevator door was sealed. Weiss thrusted Myrtenaster into the door and encased it in ice, then she switched to fire and burst the ice and the metal door in a fiery explosion, allowing both to jump inside, weapons drawn. However, both were surprised to find the entire tower encased in a strange white ice-like substance. Overhead, the Grimm Dragon was frozen forever in a state of shock, and nearby, Ruby laid unconscious. "RUBY!" Weiss called, rushing straight for her while Jaune looked around, noticing a large lump of the strange ice nearby.

"Pyrrha?" he called, but received no answer. "Pyrrha?" he said again, now louder. He spun around, expecting her to appear out of nowhere behind him with an "I'm sorry" as she would always say, but she never did. "PYRRHA!" he yelled, his worry growing more and more.

Suddenly, the lump of ice burst open and Cinder flew out of it, her entire body encased in fire. Jaune drew his sword and shield and stepped between Cinder and Weiss. Cinder glanced down at Jaune for a brief second, then looked at Weiss cradling Ruby in her arms. "Give me the silver-eyed girl," Cinder coldly hissed, her eyes glowing brightly. Weiss held Ruby closer to her while Jaune got between them.

"You'll have to go through me first!" he yelled, holding his shield in front for defense. Cinder merely grinned and fired a large ball of fire at him, striking his shield and making him stumble, but Jaune did not fall. Cinder landed onto the floor and calmly walked towards Jaune, to which he charged forward and slashed with his sword, where Cinder caught the blade in her bare hand. Jaune, shocked, wrestled with her and retrieved his sword, quickly swinging it at her, to which Cinder ducked and leapt back. She snapped her fingers and a line of tiny embers appeared in front of her and she fired them all at once at him. Jaune swung his sword parallel with the embers, striking them all and making them all disperse.

"Fascinating," Cinder remarked with a grin. Cinder spun her hands in the air and shot them out off to the sides, where straight waves of fire burst from the floor, sealing off any possible escape for the three. "but as fun as this is turning out, I'm on a tight schedule thanks to that silver-eyed girl, and I'd rather eliminate three Paladins while I'm here."

Jaune's face twisted into shock. _Three? So…she's killed two already…Ozpin and…_ he wondered for a moment. Cinder stretched a hand towards Jaune and ray of fire burst from her palm and sought to incinerate him, but he threw his shield up in time, making the embers curl around and lap at his skin, burning away at his clothes and skin, but he dared no move else the fire instead touch Ruby and Weiss. Cinder moved forward while Jaune slid backwards, to which Weiss threw up a Glyph behind him to halt him in place. _Aziela, help me…_

 _"I am here, my Paladin. Envision your Draíochta surrounding your skin like armor and focus on it,"_ she answered within his mind. Jaune obeyed and pictured a suit of armor made of his Draíochta covering him and concentrated on making it happen. The mark of Aziela glowed brightly upon his hand and Draíochta seeped out from his skin and enveloped his entire body. The pain ceased and the fire no longer harmed him, allowing Jaune to move forward. Keeping his shield up, he opted to use the Shield Bash attack from one of Pyrrha's videos.

 _"What you want to do, whether you are on the offensive or defensive, is quickly charge forward with your shield raised. This will allow you to bash your shield into your opponent while it protects you from frontal attacks, and bashing your foe with leave them temporary dazed, then you follow up with a quick attack."_ He remembered from the video. Jaune quickly charged forward with his shield raised, bashing it into Cinder's stomach, forcing her to cease fire and he quickly followed up with a slash at her face, of which Cinder narrowly avoided, suffering only a long cut along her cheek, which drew blood. She leapt away and the flame walls died down.

Weiss stared at Jaune in amazement, for his entire body was surrounded in what looked like white Aura in the form of a suit of knight's armor. "How can…?!" Cinder spat out, to which Jaune merely raised his right hand with a deathly glare and showed her the glowing mark upon his hand. "What?! You're…You can't be the Dànsling! You're just a pathetic boy who snuck into Beacon!" At that moment, the two black birds arrived and materialized back into Qrow and Kyler and stood beside Jaune with their swords drawn.

"You're wrong! I am the Dànsling, and I have been ever since the day I was born! It is my destiny as a Paladin to protect the world from evil such as yourself!" Jaune proudly declared. All three men went towards Cinder, who turned and jumped off the edge of the tower, forcing them all to run to the edge, but she was nowhere in sight, as if she had vanished.

Qrow went to Ruby and took her into his arms. "She's unconscious, but she's not hurt," he notified everyone, earning sighs of relief.

"Jaune…" Weiss stuttered out, pointing to something in the middle of the room encased in the icy substance. Jaune went to it and found it to be Pyrrha's circlet.

 _"…I'd rather eliminate three Paladins while I'm here…"_ went Cinder's voice inside his head.

 _Ruby's mother was a Paladin, and Cinder wanted to kill Ruby…So she is the third Paladin Cinder meant by…Kyler is here, which means Ozpin is gone…And Cinder was shocked to discover I was the Dànsling…_ Jaune's eyes teared up as he quickly realized what happened to Pyrrha. He fell to his knees in the middle of the room, his entire body shaking as he wept. Memories of her flooded into his mind.

" _It takes a lot of guts to wear bunny pajamas…"_

 _"I want to help you become the leader I know you can be. You have the potential…"_

 _"You didn't even know my name, and even after you learned who I was, you still treated me like a normal girl…That's what I like about you, Jaune…"_

One memory stuck in his mind, the memory of how Pyrrha felt she was lonely, which she told him during the dance. " _Even though I'm a star athlete and everyone thinks I'm going to become a great Huntress one day, I always felt alone, like I was trapped in a place cold, dark, like it was empty in my life, even with everything going on, but then you appeared like a ray of light, and you made me hope again, and you helped me make real friends. Thank you, Jaune…"_

 _Why didn't I realize how you felt about me then?_ he wondered, feeling angry with himself.

 _"I believe you can become a great Huntsman, Jaune, I know you can…"_

 _"I love you, Jaune…"_ Pyrrha's kind, loving smile stuck in his mind, forcing him to realize that he will never see her again, that he never see her smile again, that he will never be able to share more memories with her, and worse of all, that for the first time in her life, she felt love for someone who loved her for who she is deep down and not because she was a celebrity, and now all that is gone.

"Pyrrha…Pyrrha…PYRRHA!" Jaune screamed as his Draíochta burst within him, bleeding out of his hand and enveloping his entire body in a series of energy-laced waves. He clutched the circlet close to his body as his Draíochta rubbed along his burns, cuts, and bruises, healing every wound upon his body while everyone could only watch.

"JAUNE!" Weiss yelled, rushing towards him, hoping to help. Kyler reached out to grab her, but missed, allowing her to get close, but as she did so, she was struck by a wave of Draíochta, throwing her backwards and tumbling across the floor. Kyler went to her and saw that some of Jaune's Draíochta had stuck onto her wounds and was healing her, including her scar, which was slowly covered in Draíochta before it formed into skin and healed the scar completely, as if it was never there.

Jaune's sudden outburst of Draíochta continued for about a minute, lighting up the tower with a bright light during so, until finally, his Draíochta faded away and the teen collapsed, still clutching Pyrrha's circlet, which became the last thing he saw before his world faded to black.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

Outside of Vale and far beyond the dangers of the city, every Huntsmen, Huntress, student, and soldier was gathered in a large camp, and Glynda was in charge. She made it vocal already to everyone that she intends to formulate an army to retake Vale back, but for now, their goal was to heal, recover, and gather information. Ruby, Jaune, Yang, and all the wounded were moved to a fenced-off area to be tended too. All of the students paid their respects to the fallen who were to be sent to their families for a proper burial, and they went to visit Jaune, who was still unconscious, yet they all said their thanks for leading them in battle, and many believed that had he not, they might not have lived. Some people noticed that Blake was nowhere to be found, and it was quickly discovered that she had run away. Brawnz Ni had also disappeared, leaving his only remaining teammate May worried sick.

Weiss, Nora, and Ren visited the unconscious Ruby, Jaune, and broken Yang; no one knew when or even if Ruby or Jaune would wake up, leaving their friends with nothing to do but hope and pray to the Gods above. Weiss visited Ruby and Jaune most of them all, especially Jaune. One late afternoon, Weiss' father arrived in an elegant airship to bring Weiss home to Atlas, explaining that he felt she would most safe there. Weiss protested and resisted, claiming that her friends needed her, but her father ignored her wishes and insisted that she come home, but he did allow her to say goodbye to her friends so long as she did not take long. Weiss said a one-sided goodbye to Ruby, one to Yang, who was so depressed that she did not say anything back, and to everyone else, who each said their own goodbye and gave her hugs. She even said goodbye to Tristan Cortes and apologized for her rude behavior towards him, which he accepted. Last, but certainly not least, there was Jaune left.

"Jaune, my father has come to take me home," she explained to his sleeping body as she sat next to him. "He feels that I would be safer at home than I would be here, and while I really want to stay to help everyone, my father's word is law, as he would put it." One of Weiss' fingers traced over the smooth skin where her scar once sat. "You know, I'm curious about how my scar has healed, and what all that you told Cinder up at the tower meant, but perhaps it's not my business to know. Maybe it's something that only you understand…but I know you had something to do with my scar, and I just want to say thank you, Jaune." Weiss gave him a smile and leaned over, where she kissed his cheek. She blushed red like an apple and left him, where she boarded the airship and went home.

The remaining students all gathered together around a campfire to stay warm and remained apart from most of the other Huntsmen and soldiers, choosing to hang out together until Glynda had decided on what should happen to them. "I've heard that Glynda intends to retake Vale," Velvet Scarletina told her fellow students.

"I've been hearing the same. Do you think she can do it?" Reese Chloris responded.

"I don't see why not, I mean, she is among the most powerful of the Huntresses," went Fox Alistair. "If she thinks she can do it, then she will do it."

"But she surely can't do it with just this handful of Huntsmen and Atlesian soldiers," Octavia Ember argued.

"Maybe we should help her in this fight," Olivia Marquette suggested.

"We're just students!" said May Zedong.

"Yeah, and we were students when we stayed at Beacon to defend it, we were students when the Grimm invaded, and we were students when we found ourselves fighting Grimm, Atlesian Knights, and the White Fang, so why shouldn't we fight?" Lucas Dias shot at her. "It's our responsibility as the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses to protect the world, no matter if we're students or full-fledged Huntsmen and Huntresses!" A number of them agreed with him. "I say we stay and fight."

Elsewhere, Tristan sat with the girl Mint near a fire that was cooking some food so they can stay warm as well as smell the scent of cooking meat. "So, I've been looking around and I haven't found your parents yet, Mint," Tristan told her, to which she remained silent. He threw an arm around her and gave her a hug. "Don't worry, we'll find them soon." Mint gave him a sheepish smile. "You know, you kinda remind me of my little sister; she was a mute too." Tristan went into one of his pockets and retrieved a folded-up photograph and showed it to her. "See, here we are, though this was a few years back. There's my parents, there's me, and there's my little sister, Neo." He pointed to each one, including the tiny girl with multicolored eyes and hair. "She was an odd-looking one, but I loved her." Tristan got called over by his team, so he bid farewell to Mint for the time being. After he left, Mint went into the nearby forest undetected, where she transformed herself back into Neo, and disappeared.

The Guardians all arrived within time. Upon arriving, Olivia went to Glas Radiance and gave all of them massive hugs and expressed her excitement on seeing them again. Senna gave her mother a big hug, and asked her how she has been lately.. Blanche and Gris instantly went to check on Jaune, and both of them were relieved to see him alive. Taiyang went straight for his daughters, and upon seeing Yang, he broke into tears and held her in his arms. When Pandora learned of Pyrrha, she fell to the ground in tears and had to be taken away by Kyler.

After everyone had arrived, Kyler went to Glynda in a small cabin. "Glynda, we need to move the Paladins to Patch to keep them safe," he told her.

"You have my permission," she answered without hesitation. "And Kyler, what should we do about the Grimm Dragon that's now frozen atop Beacon?"

"Without Ozpin, our powers are limited, and with just Grace, Pecado, and I, there's no way we can kill it; it took me and the other Paladins all our power just to seal it in that mountain ages ago."

"So what should we do?"

"Perhaps it's best to wait for when the five Paladins emerge. Once we become five again, we will have a chance to destroy it this time. Until then, I think you should just focus on reclaiming Vale." Kyler turned to leave, but he stopped at the door. "I also believe you should employ the students, especially the Guardians among them; you need all the troops you can get ahold of." He left her there with her own thoughts. As soon as he had left, Glynda clenched up his fists, grit her teeth, and began to weep. "You stupid old man, Ozpin…" she cursed as tears ran down her cheeks.

Kyler gave the order to Qrow, Taiyang, and Pandora to gather the Paladins onto a small bullhead to take to Patch. Qrow gathered Ruby, Taiyang got Yang, Pandora took Jaune, and Kyler went to Velvet and Cardin, urging them to board the bullhead, even despite their teammates wishes. Ren and Nora, however, snuck onto the bullhead and refused to leave, so they were allowed to accompany their leader. Before they left, Kyler instructed Pecado and Grace to remain at the camp to protect everyone until the time is right to take the Paladins away for training, of which they both agreed upon. The bullhead took off and headed west for Patch, leaving all the students curious as to where their friends were being taken to and why.

As the bullhead flew through the sky, Kyler spied the frozen Grimm Dragon at the top of the remains of Beacon Tower, and below, legions of Grimm were being drawn towards Beacon by the frozen corpse of the creature, like moths to a flame. He stole a glance back at Ruby, who Qrow was holding in his arms, and Jaune, who was in Pandora's embrace with Pyrrha's circlet clutched tightly in his hand, and Cardin and Velvet were huddled together looking confused, given that they do not know why they are here on the bullhead heading to Patch, and Yang sat silently staring out the window, wondering where Blake could be. "Qrow, Taiyang, when Ruby awakens, I think we should tell her the truth, and you know what I mean. It's time she learns about the Silver-Eyes and the circumstances of her birth." Both men nodded in agreement and looked at the sleeping girl in the red cloak.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Dark Realm of Remnant**

Pyrrha's dead, naked body laid upon the barren land of the Dark Realm until it was founded by a couple of Grimm, who carried her lifeless body to the tall, black castle that nestled in a deep valley swarming with Grimm. The Grimm carried her body inside, where they were greeted by the ancient Wytch and Dark Paladin, Salem, who threw a black cloak onto the girl's corpse. The Grimm then took her to a stone slab and laid her upon it, then Ozpin was dragged in, held up by shackles attached to two Ursai.

"Look upon her, Oz," Salem told him. He refused. "Look upon her and see what your actions have done to her! Look upon her and see the fate you have cursed her with!"

Ozpin glanced at Pyrrha with a sad face. "I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry, Pyrrha," he whispered to himself. "I've done this all wrong. I should've prepared the Paladins and Guardians earlier than I intended, but I thought that spending the last of your youth was more important."

"Ozpin, one again, you have made another drastic and terrible mistake, and now you shall pay the price by watching Pyrrha become our second general." Sheena then appeared, flying into the throne room on her black wings. She landed beside Salem and Salem bowed and addressed her as "Lady Sheena."

"So, this one will become our next Grimm General?" Sheena questioned, pulling Pyrrha's head towards her to inspect her. "Why was the Dànsling or the new Laghsling not brought instead?"

"Cinder Fall made a mistake, but this one, Pyrrha Nikos, is powerful, and she shares a close bond with Jaune Arc, the next Dànsling."

Sheena glanced upon Pyrrha's body. "Very well, she shall suffice. Bring the Grimm Parasite."

A humanoid Grimm brought in a small display case full of water with a strange ell-like Grimm the size of a person's finger floating around inside. Salem reached in and retrieved the creature and hovered it near Pyrrha's face. As soon as the Grimm slid down her throat and entered her stomach, it went to work corrupting her body. Her body began to shiver and convulse. Her entire body glowed with a dark light, making Sheena and Salem make evil grins at how well the process was working. The girl spun over and tumbled off the stone slab. Salem casually walked around towards and lifted the girl up. While her face was obscured by the hood of the robes she wore, it was clear that her skin had changed to an ash-like color similar to Salem's. Two bright green eyes—eyes that were shaped like evil slits—glowed from under the hood, and upon her chest, directly in her chest wound, was a small gem that glowed with the color of fiery orange.

"It is done. Soon, the world will fall apart once the Grimm are released upon the Light Realm," Sheena remarked.

"How does it feel, Ozpin, to have all your time and effort be for nothing? To have your Paladins and Guardians fail you even before they have started? Everything you've built shall be torn down in time," Salem told him with a purr. "A long time ago, Kyler warned me that humanity is a noticeable threat when banded together, united by a common enemy, but when we divide them and place doubt in their minds, like we did with the Atlesian fleet, then your visage of power fades away. Of course, your people won't realize it at first, for they will be still clinging to their fleeting hope, and then you will turn to your Paladins. So send your Paladins, your Guardians, your Huntsmen and Huntresses, and you will in turn watch them fall one by one and their deaths will be on you, Ozpin, who chose to put his faith into children. You believe that a smaller, more honest soul will be the one who will decide if Light or Darkness shall win, as you did over twenty years ago, and if you do the same now, you will only send her to the same pitiful demise!"

At once, a new figure entered the throne room. The figure was some kind of woman, covered in fabric armor and wearing a tattered white hood over her head and a white cloak behind her that was in torn rags. Below the hood, Ozpin could see glowing silver eyes, and he gasped. "No…You didn't!"

"I did, Ozpin," Sheena hissed. "I have two generals ready to lead my armies now, and finally, things are set in motion. But don't fret, I promise to keep you alive so you can see your Paladins and Guardians fail you, the world, and the Gods, and when it's over and you have nothing left to lose, I will enjoy watching you burn. This is the day I've been waiting for for so long." Sheena gave him an evil, victorious grin.

 **Next Chapter: The Paladins of Light**


	5. The Paladins of Light

A/N: Now that I am officially done with the canon episodes, The Game The Gods Play will all be original content from now on. Thanks for supporting the series, everyone.

 **Part 2: Rise of the Paladins**

 **Chapter 5: The Paladins of Light**

 _Throughout time, among the many warriors that fought against the Grimm, there were warriors who stood out among the rest. These special warriors were among the most powerful and seen once every generation, and each one of them had silver eyes, a color never seen in anyone else's eyes before. The silver eyes were a blessing from Oum, and those with the mystical power of the silver eyes were destined to serve Oum as his Laghsling, using the mystical power of their eyes to vanquish Grimm._

—From "The Silver-Eyed Warriors," the Remnant Codex.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **November 17th 1580**

Cinder thought she had everything set according to her plan, she really did, but she did not take into account Ruby Rose awakening the ancient power of the Silver Eyes that killed the Grimm Dragon, nor did she anticipate that Jaune Arc—who she thought was Pyrrha Nikos' Guardian all this time—would arrive and dare stand up to her, even wounding her in the process, nor that Kyler Carnaid and Qrow Branwen would come to the boy's rescue, forcing her to flee. When she dove off the tower, she enveloped herself in Draíochta and vanished, where she teleported a safe distance away near Emerald and Mercury, who took her to a hidden car. Mercury got up front and drove while the women sat in the backseat. "Get us out of Vale," Cinder ordered him, and Mercury wasted no time slamming the pedal to the metal.

"Here, let me clean that," Emerald offered, drawing close to the long cut on Cinder's cheek with a cloth, but Cinder gave her an evil glare, making her shiver away and stare out the window for the entire duration while Mercury got them outside of the city.

 _Jaune Arc…Aziela chose you over so many powerful, far more suitable candidates for her Dànsling, why is that?_ Cinder asked herself, her mind deep in thought as she stared out the window at the destroyed city, still overrun with Grimm that dared not cross the path of the Olcsling. _I saw you lead your fellow students at Beacon, but Aziela couldn't have chosen you just for your abilities as a leader, no man has ever been a Paladin based solely on his ability to lead before…Whatever it may be, do not grow confident in your power. When we cross paths again, I will show you that the holy magic of Aziela is insignificant compared to my hellfire and my Wytch powers._ Cinder slipped an evil grin, her imagination picturing her towering over a defeated Jaune with herself ready to kill him, but then Cinder made a joyful gasp, for she remembered what horrible fate awaits Pyrrha Nikos now, and this in turn made her smile wider than ever as her mind filled with visions of Jaune Arc meeting the new Pyrrha Nikos.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **November 18th 1580**

 **The Vale Wilderness**

In the hidden White Fang camp, everyone was celebrating their victory over Mankind and the fall of Vale, sharing food and drink and making merry. However, the only ones not celebrating were Adam and Jaakuna, who were inside Adam's tent. Adam sat on his bed staring down at his katana while Jaakuna stood nearby. "Jaakuna, I will be fine. Go enjoy yourself or something," Adam ordered him, wishing to be alone. Jaakuna nodded and exited the tent. Adam set aside his sword and removed his mask.

 _"Goodbye,"_ Blake simply told him that day, over a year ago, when she abandoned him and their revolution, cutting the train car and disappearing into the distance. _Why did you do this to me, Blake?_ he wondered. On his cot was Blake's ribbon, which he held onto after he tore it off her head at Beacon. He took it into his hands and ran his fingers along the fabric. He can still remember giving it to her when she was thirteen after she was bullied by a couple human boys because of her ears.

 _"Here you go, Blake," Adam told her, handing her the black ribbon and cloth._

 _"But Adam, I thought you want us to show our Faunus traits all the time?" she argued. He smiled and tied the bow onto her head and over her ears._

 _"I did say that, but I thought you'd look pretty with a bow." He took a minute to finish up and stood back. "There you go." He held up a hand mirror to her and she marveled at her new appearance._

 _"Thank you, Adam. I'll always wear it," she said with a proud smile, making Adam smile in return._

Adam clasped a hand onto his eyes, covering up his scars and grit his teeth tight. His body shivered a little and he made a little whimper as he thought back to when he returned to Blake the day after he received his permanent scars.

 _Blake leapt into Adam's arms and sobbed into his coat while he held her. "I"m okay, Blake, I'm fine," he assured her._

 _"I was so scared! I was afraid that you weren't going to come back!" she cried. "Don't ever leave me alone! Promise me!"_

 _"I promise."_

"But you left me…" Adam growled, clutching Blake's bow in his grip. He exited his tent with his mask on his face and the bow still in his hand. He went to a nearby fire pit and tossed the bow into it, ignoring the curious glances from some White Fang members who were roasting some meat over the fire pit, then he returned to his tent.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Patch Island**

Everyone was trying to relax at the Xiao Long house as much as possible, even with Ruby and Jaune still unconscious and recovering. Kyler, Qrow, and Taiyang gave Yang, Velvet, and Cardin explicit instructions to stay inside as much as possible, but if they were to go outside, then to never lose sight of the house. "What is this all about? Why are we here?" Cardin demanded from the men while Velvet sat quietly, preferring to watch how things unfold.

"We will explain all in due time, once Ruby and Jaune have awakened," Kyler explained.

"My team needs me right now! I demand to be taken back to Vale so I can be with them!"

"I cannot allow that." Cardin called Kyler a disgusting word and swung his fist at him, to which Kyler easily blocked with his own hand, grabbed Cardin's, and pushed him to the floor. "Cardin, I cannot allow you to return to Vale, not now, not when you're so important to the world. And the same goes for you too, Velvet Scarletina. But rest assured, your teammates are alright and not in any danger whatsoever." That alone helped the two breathe easy.

"Um, you said that we're important? How?"

"Shade's headmaster Pecado Midnight and Haven's headmistress Grace Evergreen will explain to you when they arrive." Both teen shared confused looks, but chose to accept Kyler's words. Kyler then took his leave by going to the kitchen where Taiyang was. "Tai, you okay?" Kyler asked him.

"No, I'm not. How am I supposed to feel okay after all this? Vale has fallen, there's a giant Grimm Dragon atop Beacon, Ozpin is gone, the CCT is down across the kingdoms, one of my daughters lost an arm and is depressed, and my other is unconscious." Taiyang stole a look at Kyler. "Don't even _think_ about correcting me on _that_ , Kyler," he growled, jabbing a finger towards him. "I raised Ruby myself, and she's just as much my daughter as Yang is."

"I didn't say anything," he reminded him, making Taiyang slam his fist onto the counter in response, which made Velvet jump in her seat in the other room.

"Um, maybe we should go," she suggested to Cardin, who agreed. The two went off towards the bedrooms, hoping to check on Ruby, Jaune, and Yang. "I will go see Yang, wanna come?" Velvet asked Cardin.

He shook his head. "No, I doubt she'd want to see me of all people. But I'll go check on Jaune, see how he and the rest of JNPR is handling themselves."

"Cardin, be sure to be courteous towards them. At the camp, I heard…I heard that Pyrrha…was killed…" Velvet fought back a couple tears that appeared in her eyes, then she scurried off into Yang's room. Cardin could tell she was barely able to form the words.

Cardin entered the guest room Jaune and his team were, where he was greeted by Ren and Nora on either sides of the bed Jaune was lying in. Jaune had been stripped of his armor and clothes, save for his undershirt and underwear, and he was tucked under the blankets. "How is he?" Cardin asked as he approached.

"His wounds have already healed up thanks to his Aura, his breathing is regular, but he's still unconscious," Ren answered as he wrung out a hot cloth and placed it upon Jaune's forehead. Cardin pulled up a chair and sat beside the bed.

"I owe Jaune my life," Cardin started, making Ren and Nora turn towards him. "You guys saw Sky get crushed by that giant cog. Had Jaune not hold me back, I would've ran right for Sky's body and for the Grimm that were converging on his body…After all I've done, especially to Jaune, I still can't believe he'd save my life again."

"Jaune doesn't care if you're a good person or a bad person, Cardin, you're a Huntsman, and he will do what he must to protect his fellow comrades," Ren remarked. Cardin dropped his head down to his feet.

"You guys have an incredible leader. You must be extremely proud," he complimented.

"We've been proud of our Jauney ever since our team was formed," Nora told him as she fished out his right hand to check his pulse, and that was when Cardin saw the mark of Aziela upon his hand.

"What's that there?" he asked, pointing to Jaune's hand.

"What do you mean? There's nothing there," Nora answered, waving Jaune's limp hand at Cardin.

"Never mind…" Cardin left the room and went to the guest room where he and Velvet are staying in. He approached a full-body mirror where he removed his shirt and turned around. Etched all over his back was large pair of black angelicwings that stretched all over. Cardin has had this on his back for all as long as he could remember; when he first discovered, he went to his father about it, but his father claimed he could not see the wings, and since then, he has kept them a secret. "I could see that mark on Jaune's hand, yet Nora and Ren could not…" he noted to himself as he looked at his wings. "There's something weird going on here…"

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Velvet went into Yang's room, where the blonde was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling. "Yang, you alright? Do you want me to get you anything, like some food or something?" the Rabbit Faunus timidly asked.

"No, I just want to be left alone," Yang sullenly answered, rolling over towards the window away from Velvet.

"Yang, Taiyang told me you haven't been eating much since you arrived home, so I think you should at least eat something."

"I told you, I just want to be left alone," Yang told her.

"Yang, you can't just stay in your room all day."

"I said GET OUT!" she yelled, making Velvet jump. Velvet quickly left and went down to the guest room where she and Cardin are staying in and walked in on Cardin checking his back in the mirror. She blushed a deep red upon seeing him, given that the only men she has ever walked in on were Fox and Yatsuhashi. However, her embarrassment was quickly replaced with curiosity when she saw the black wings in the mirror. Velvet asked, and Cardin quickly explained, telling her that he has had the wings on his back for as long as he could remember.

"Wait, you can see them?" Cardin suddenly asked her upon finishing, realizing that she could see the wings.

"Um…yeah…" she whispered before suddenly removing her shirt, exposing her bare body in a brown bra to him. Stretching across her left shoulder was a black tree tattoo. "I have something similar. I remember asking my parents about it when I was little and they said they couldn't see it either."

"And yet I can…" Cardin muttered.

"There's something weird going on here…We both have tattoos or whatever these are that only we can see, and we get dragged from our friends to here for some unknown reason…" Velvet deduced. She threw her shirt back on and took his hand, where he lead him out into the living room where Qrow is, where she proceeded to tell him about the marks on their bodies.

"I was wondering how long it would take you two to notice that you can see them," he chuckled once Velvet had finished.

"You know about them?" Cardin questioned, to which Qrow nodded.

"Tell me, have you two ever heard the story _The Paladins of Remnant_?"

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Once Qrow had finished his story and explained that Velvet and Cardin are destined to be the Nàdarsling and the Bhàisling, they were awestruck and confused. "Don't worry, once your predecessors arrive to take you away for training, everything will begin to make sense, but until then, just try to relax," he concluded.

"But what about our teams? Shouldn't they know about this?" Velvet argued.

"Not necessarily a good idea, as the Paladins are to remain in secrecy until they rise as full-fledged heroes so they would not be hunted down by powerful enemies. I wouldn't worry too much about your teammates, they're with Glynda, and if anyone can keep them safe, she can." Qrow could see the worried looks on their faces. "And I will be sending messages to them personally to notify them that you two are perfectly safe and are on an important mission."

"Thank you, Mister Qrow," said Velvet.

"Just call me Qrow, kiddo." Qrow smiled and left the house, where he transformed into a crow and flew for the Vale Encampment. The teens sat down in the living room to process what they learned with each other.

"I don't understand why I'm one of these Paladins though," Cardin started off. "I'll be the first to admit it, I have been a complete jerk to a ton of people, especially Faunus, so how can I be some mystical hero?"

"I've read the stories of the Paladins before, and according to the stories, the Bhàisling was a man slated for damnation and given a second chance. Maybe that's you, Cardin. A man being given a second chance," Velvet explained.

"A second chance…"

"Isn't everyone worthy of a second chance in life?" Cardin looked away, thinking about what she said.

At that moment, Nora came running outside to the two of them. "Jaune is awake!" she notified them where they then followed after her.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 _Jaune sat inside a gazebo set near a bright sandy beach. From his spot, he could see the sun shine over the ocean, giving the water a sparkling sheen. He felt a warm breeze pass over him, making him feel at ease. "How are you?" said a voice behind him before the person it belonged to sat down beside him. Jaune turned and let out a gasp. Pyrrha was sitting beside him, garbed in a beautiful white dress with her red sash and emblem pin tied around her waist. She gave him a smile and rested her hand on his._

 _"How…?" Jaune stuttered out. "…I must be dreaming. I gotta be."_

 _"You are indeed dreaming," Pyrrha assured._

 _"If I'm aware that I'm dreaming, then I must be lucid dreaming. I did that once and I dreamed I was going to bean one of my sisters with a heavy green gem."_

 _Pyrrha giggled. "I remember you told me about that back when we talked about the strangest dreams we ever had."_

 _"Remember Nora's dream about fighting Beowolves while eating pancakes?" Jaune chuckled, to which Pyrrha nodded. There was a moment of silence between them. "Pyrrha, why did you trick Cinder into believing you were the Dànsling?" he whimpered._

 _Pyrrha scooted closer to him and wrung her arm around his. "I'm sorry. I…I wanted to protect you from her. Remember when I warned you that there would be evil people dedicated to killing you and the other Paladins? Cinder is one of them," she explained. "I knew right away that you would have been no match for her had she know who you really are." She rested her head on his shoulder, to which Jaune wrapped his other arm onto her left shoulder. "I am your Guardian, destined to guide you, train you, and protect you, even if it costs me my life."_

 _"But why did you have to die? Why did you have to leave Nora, Ren, and I? Why did I have to lose you after I found I loved you?" Jaune cried, hugging her tight._

 _"I will always love you, Jaune," Pyrrha professed to him. "And I will always be with you, no matter what."_

 _"You're just saying that…" Pyrrha pulled him away and stared directly at him._

 _"No, I really mean it. It's how I'm speaking to you right now."_

 _"Wh-What…?"_

 _"Jaune, when I inserted some of my Aura into you to unlock yours back during initiation, my Aura stuck itself to yours inside your body and melded with it, becoming one. Then it happened again on the balcony when I tried helping you with your Draíochta once more. You now have a portion of my Aura inside you, Jaune." She tapped his chest and he in turn rubbed it, bewildered by this new information. "Aura is the manifestation of a person's soul, and thus that is how we are speaking to each other right now; you are not lucid dreaming, but rather communicating with my soul from the portion I unknowingly gave you."_

 _"I'm talking…to your soul…?" Jaune questioned._

 _"I really mean it that I will always be with you." Pyrrha took his hands in hers. "Jaune, dark times are ahead for you, and I'm sorry that I cannot be there to fight by your side, but should you ever need help, call me. I will help you as a guide and a voice to talk to, always remember that."_

 _Jaune nodded and gave Pyrrha a smile, then he went forward and embraced her in a loving hug, which she returned. "I believe in you, Jaune. I will always believe in you," she assured him. She lifted his chin up and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek, which warmed his heart and made him smile. He in turn kissed her lips, prompting them both to wrap their arms around each other to deepen it for a moment. "Now, it's time for you to wake up." She stood up, taking him into her arms. She carried him off the gazebo and onto the beach, all while the light of the sun intensified, soon enveloping them both._

 _"Do not worry about me, for it is in passing that we achieve immortality," were her last words before Jaune was blinded by the sunlight._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune's eyes slowly opened and he found himself lying in a bed, with Ren and Nora at his left side staring at him. "You're awake!" Nora suddenly cried out. "I'm gonna go get the others!" Nora ran out of the room.

"You okay?" Ren asked. Jaune said nothing, but he then noticed that he had tears dried upon his cheeks. "Jaune, are you sure you're okay?" Again, Jaune nodded. Nora soon returned, now with Velvet, Cardin, and Kyler in tow. Everyone crowded around him and began bombarding him with questions, except for Kyler, who remained silent, understand the turmoil he must be experiencing.

"What happened up at the tower, Jaune?" asked a impatient Nora.

"Yeah, we saw a bright white flash atop it after you and Weiss went up," Ren quickly added.

"Jaune, is Pyrrha okay? Kyler and Qrow brought only you, Weiss, and Ruby from the tower to camp," went Velvet.

Jaune ignored them all and took in his surroundings, where he saw Pyrrha's circlet sitting on the nightstand beside him. He groggily reached out for it, to which Ren handed it to him. "Everyone, give him a moment," Kyler told everyone, making everyone hush up. They watched as Jaune cradled the circlet close to his body and slowly wept, which told everyone of Pyrrha's fate. "We did this all wrong," Kyler eventually muttered.

"What are you talking about?" Ren asked.

"Ozpin believed that we should have waited to train you all after the Vytal Festival ended, claiming you should enjoy the last of your youth, but look at what happened. The Dark Paladins attacked Vale, they took down the CCT tower, they killed Ozpin, one of our oldest Paladins, and they killed Pyrrha, a Guardian."

"So, Pyrrha really is…dead…" Velvet mumbled out before breaking into tears. Ren and Nora embraced each other and softly wept, and Cardin clenched his fists. Jaune, however, spoke up.

"What are I supposed to do now, as a Paladin? And what about the other Paladins?" he asked Kyler.

"For you, Jaune, given how things have folded now, it is best you wait for orders from Aziela for now. As for the other Paladins, they're right here." Kyler waved his hand towards Velvet and Cardin. "Meet Velvet the Nàdarsling and Cardin the Bhàisling." Ren and Nora were the only ones confused by what Kyler was saying. Jaune looked at both Velvet and Cardin for a moment and raised his hand, showing them the mark of Aziela so they understood.

"Who are the remaining two Paladins?" Jaune then asked.

"Ruby is destined to be the next Laghsling, my successor, and Yang is destined to be the Cothrosling, like Ozpin was."

Jaune jolted in his seat. "Ruby! Weiss and I found her atop Beacon Tower! Is she okay? Is Weiss okay?" he began badgering until Kyler hushed him. The others all began invested, desiring to know what happened atop the tower.

"Relax, Jaune, they're okay. Ruby is in the other room recovering. You got to her just in time before Cinder could kill her. And Weiss is alright, but she has been taken home to Atlas by her father." Jaune slumped in his seat.

"Jaune, did anything happen with you and Weiss atop the tower?" Velvet asked, quickly noticing his confusion. "See, when Kyler and Qrow brought you three to the Vale Encampment, Weiss' scar was gone, as if it had healed over." Jaune was still confused.

"Velvet, Jaune is the Dànsling, the Paladin of Aziela, and as such, he is gifted with Draíochta that gives him holy magic, which includes the strongest healing abilities among the Gods, specifically made for recovering wounds during battle. Weiss accidentally touched Jaune's Draíochta atop Beacon Tower and it healed her wounds, including her eye scar," Kyler explained.

"Incredible…" the Faunus girl mumbled. Jaune stayed silent, pondering what he did to Weiss.

"So long as she's okay…" Jaune mumbled then went silent. "What about Pyrrha's mother, Pandora? Does she know?"

"Yeah, she knows." Jaune lowered his head. "Jaune, you are not to blame for this. Now get some rest."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Vale Encampment**

Citizens, Huntsmen, Huntresses, Atlesian soldiers, and even mercenaries all congregated in a closed off field where numerous tents, camp fires, and supplies were set up for the people. The Huntsmen, soldiers, and mercenaries were all given a small closed off area, where Glynda began working on a plan to retake Vale with Ironwood's help, despite the public outcry from the survivors, given that the last thing people saw on the video feed was the Atlesian Fleet attacking civilians. Ironwood and his remaining soldiers were met with vulgar language, thrown trash, and demands they return to Atlas. Ironwood ordered that his men ignore the foul cries. "You are not responsible for what happened. You did not turn on the civilians," he told them as they headed for the Huntsmen camp. Together, he and Glynda began formulating plans to first reclaim a section of Vale where some Atlesian Paladin prototypes were stored, which Ironwood believed would help them clear out the Grimm in the city.

The students went around handing out rations and water to the civilians as well as patching up those with injuries. Everyone was cold, miserable, wounded, and tired, and things only seemed to be getting worse. "This sucks, this really sucks," Coco told everyone at their campfire after performing an afternoon distribution of rations and water to the people. "We've got all these people in need of food, water, and medical supplies, and we're just running out on all of it. At this rate, we're all going to die before we even make a dent in the Grimm that's in the city." Around her, her friends slowly and steadily agreed.

"Where do you think Velvet was taken to?" asked Yatsuhashi. "I saw her get taken away with Ruby, Jaune, Yang, and Cardin by Kyler Carnaid and Qrow Branwen, but both of them refused to say anything about why they were being taken away."

"Somebody say my name?" asked Qrow, who came up behind them, surprising everyone. "I heard what you were talking about and I'm here to tell you Velvet and Cardin are just fine. We had to take them away so they could help Ruby, Jaune, and Yang with their recovery." A series of murmurs went around, but most of everyone agreed to Qrow's words.

Elsewhere, Olivia and Reese journeyed together with members of Glas Radiance, where along with handing out provisions, they also tended to the soldiers and Huntsmen, checking that their weaponry was in acceptable condition and help recruit the Atlesian soldiers for Glynda's Army, many of which were happy to join, hoping to help make amends for the betrayal the Atlesian Knights made. They reported back to Glynda, where the rest of Team LOST was, and they regrouped.

"Hey, Olivia, we've got something for ya!" called Durian of Glas Radiance, beckoning her over with a hand wave. Olivia and the others went to him, where they found themselves at a small clearing off a few large tents with combat gear strewn about; the makeshift base for Glas Radiance. Their leader Forrester gave Olivia a big hug and then Cherry, their demolition expert, handed her a large suitcase.

"Now, I know you wanted to leave Glas Radiance to become a Huntress here at Beacon, and we respected your decision, but we cannot respect your decision to wear a combat uniform like _that._ " Forrester motioned to Olivia's makeshift, and rather poorly-designed outfit.

"Hey, I actually like this outfit, you know!" Olivia retorted, but not in an angry tone.

"Yeah, and you said the same about your GR uniform too," Plum called out.

Olivia scoffed at him and opened the suitcase, which held her old Glas Radiance uniform inside, which was pressed clean and in good condition. "I see you had the holes and black marks fixed," she noted. "What's this for?"

"We figured since we'd be helping out Glynda and her army that we could do it together, for old time's sake," Forrester explained.

"And because your current outfit sucks harder than a desperate hooker in need of cash!" called Pine, earning a fist bump from Plum.

"Alright, for old time's sake," Olivia sighed, where she then handed her scroll, as well as Prime, Echo, and Olive to her friends and went into a tent with the suitcase. A few minutes pass and one of Olivia's hands came out waving for someone. "Whoever's got my scroll, put on a music track for when I come out. I wanna look cool when I strut my stuff. Pick a random song."

Lucas tapped on the shuffle button and AC/DC's "Chase the Ace" and Olivia stepped out. She was now dressed in a tight black short sleeve shirt with two leather brown shoulder holsters. Around her was an olive green combat jacket that came down to her waistline, and she wore her black fingerless gloves, black box cap, and goggles still. She wore tight olive green cargo pants and a black belt with a gold fastener buckle, and black combat boots. She still had her hair tied back into a short ponytail and she had two tufts of hair tied off to the sides of her forehead with tiny ribbons. Imprinted upon her shirt's left breast was a green sun. "How do I look?" Olivia asked everyone as she threw her dog tags on around her neck.

"Now that suits you more!" went Tristan.

"Wow, you got hotter," remarked a blushing Reese.

"It definitely looks better than your old one," Senna noted.

"Nice," Lucas simply said.

"I told you you'd look better in your uniform," said Forrester. Olivia grinned and agreed with him.

"Well, I best be heading off. I can hear Nebula calling my name." Tristan smirked.

"Mind if I go with you? Glynda wants me to inspect our camp's perimeter to ensure our defenses will hold," Lucas quickly asked, which Tristan did not object to, and they both headed off.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The Arc family all huddled together in a regular-sized tent. All of them were inside except for Noire, Bleu, Blanche, and Gris, the former two who were out helping to treat the wounded and the latter two with Glynda, them being Huntsmen after all.

"I took another look around the Huntsmen camp earlier and I still couldn't find Jaune," moan Clair. "I asked Glynda multiple times where he is, and all she would say is 'he is safe.' What does that mean especially if he isn't here?"

"Mom, I'm sure Jaune is fine, wherever he is," Violet told her.

"Yeah, I mean, if he was dead, Glynda would tell us," added Verte. Argenté, Rouge, and Foncé all agreed, hoping it would calm Clair down a little.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Outside, while Lucas, Tristan, and Nebula were wandering around, someone garbed in a thick cloak hobbled near them, bumping into one of them. "I'm sorry!" the person cried, who sounded feminine.

"It's okay, just be sure to be careful and try not to wander around too much," Lucas told her, pushing her towards her path. The woman continued on, heading towards the tent where the Arc family was in while the three continued on, though Lucas stole a couple glances back at the cloaked woman.

Cinder Fall snuck into the Vale Encampment with only one intention: murder Jaune Arc and his family, all for his interference with her invasion of Vale. She knew she would have only a brief moment to commit the murder before the Huntsmen were alerted, but that was all she would need before she could disappear. She knew which tent the Arcs were staying in thanks to a kind yet stupid Atlesian soldier who believed her when she said she was "Grandma Arc." As Cinder made her way towards the tent, she did a little hobble to fool any nearby Huntsmen, and it worked perfectly, though she ended up bumping into Lucas Dias along the way. She continued on, though she did not notice that Lucas continued to watch her as she went.

Upon reaching the Arc tent, she walked around its perimeter while smearing her hand across the fabric, leaving a trail of fire which quickly overtook the tent. She heard screams inside and erected a wall of fire before the entrance, forbidding escape. Cinder threw off her cloak and let loose a victorious laugh while nearby people ran and scream from the fire.

"STOP!" shouted an Atlesian soldier, who took aim and fired his rifle. Cinder simply ignored him as his bullets merely bounced off of her as if they were BBs.

"Pathetic mortal," she muttered as she waved a hand at him, igniting him on fire instantly, inciting more panic. Lucas, Tristan, and Nebula were already on the scene. Nebula drew her weapon Slashshot and fired a bolt at Cinder, who slapped it away. Lucas drew Fida'an and fired a shot at Cinder, but instead of the buckshot glancing off of her, it dug into her stomach, making her stumble. She slapped a hand to her side and it grew red with blood. "HOW?!" she cried, staring at him. She noticed the weapon in his hands and recognized the writing on its side. "HOW DO YOU HAVE THAT WEAPON?!" she screamed as she threw a wave of fire at them, which they leapt out of the way, but blinding them with smoke. Tristan activated his Alpha Senses and saw Cinder through the smoke. He drew his Dank Steel Shootah into its bow form and nocked an Aura arrow, then fired. The arrow cut through the smoke for Cinder, who saw it too late and barely avoided it, where it cut through her right hand, severing it completely and making her screech in agony. Tristan leapt through the smoke and swiped at Cinder with his blades while she avoided him. She fired a blast of fire at him, knocking him backwards and separating his swords from him.

At that moment, Qrow, Olivia, Pandora, Gris, and the living Arc children arrived, and the Huntsmen stood before Noire, Bleu, and Blanche who were in tears over their family members. "WHERE IS JAUNE ARC?!" Cinder demanded from them as she clutched at her stump, which became enveloped in her black Draíochta and promptly halted the bleeding.

"He is safe from you where you can never find him!" Blanche answered, stepping forward with her broadsword drawn. Clad in her combat uniform consisting of grey steel armor and white clothes, she raised her sword at the evil Wytch and deployed her wrist-mounted rotatable shield on her left arm. Her determined blue eyes shone through her short white hair. "Your efforts have been for nothing and now you will suffer for your crimes, Wytch!" The Huntsmen inched closer towards Cinder until she threw up a wall of fire, enveloped herself in black Draíochta and disappeared, resulting in her fire vanishing. The Arc children broke down before the charred remains of the tent, where everything inside had been incinerated into ashes, which were quickly stolen by the wind.

Once Glynda learned of the incident, she quickly had double guards posted at all perimeters and ordered that the Arc children be taken to Patch for safety. Blanche went to Glynda to argue that she would be better use aiding the other Huntsmen in the retake of Vale. "No, I want you to go to Patch with your sisters so you can protect them, but also because they will need you in this hour of mourning," Glynda told her.

"Glynda, I am stricken with grief over the death of our family as well, but I cannot just stand by and weep while Cinder Fall roams free," Blanche argued.

"And we will find her, in due time, but right now, we need to focus on retaking Vale and rebuilding the CCT to get communications back online, especially after that mess with the Atlesian Fleet being hacked."

"I believe you should send Ironwood back to Atlas where he belongs! He failed to protect the city and now we are isolated from the world with everyone scared because his troops attacked civilians! Two Dark Paladins attacked us, and now Ozpin is dead because of that man!" Blanche spat.

"And right now, we cannot afford to argue amongst each other about who had to protect Vale! The Dark Paladins that attacked us must have been planning this for a long time, and even if the Huntsmen and Huntresses were in charge of protecting Vale, do you think it would have made a difference? We must focus on first destroying the Grimm Dragon atop Beacon Academy, which drawing Grimm towards it like moths to a fire, but we have neither enough men or the weapons needed to even carve a path towards Beacon." Overhead, Amity Coliseum hung in the sky, still afloat thanks to the enormous wind Dust that powers it. At that moment, Forrester Shinegate, leader of Glas Radiance, arrived.

"Glynda, I believe I may have a solution for the Grimm Dragon," Forrester told her. "If we can get aboard the Amity Coliseum, we can hack into the controls and guide it over Beacon and drop it down onto it. We can take out the Grimm Dragon and all the Grimm that converging around it. It'd be like two Nevermores with one bullet!"

"You want to destroy Beacon?!" Blanche argued.

"Do it," Glynda ordered without hesitation. "I will supply you with a bullhead and whatever men and weapons we can spare, but you take out that monster, understand? I will tell you when the time is right, so until then, prepare yourself."

"Yes, ma'am. I will need only a bullhead and the codes to the Amity controls; my unit will bring the coliseum down onto Beacon alone." Forrester took his leave to notify his crew of their new mission.

"Blanche, please go to Patch. Jaune will need you once he learns what has happened," Glynda repeated to her.

Blanche thought it over for a moment. "I will," she answered.

"Tell him the truth. About everything concerning the two of you, I mean. He already knows that he is the Dànsling." Blanche nodded and took her leave. From there, The three Arc sisters boarded a bullhead with Qrow and were swiftly taken to Patch.

In a secluded spot near the edge of camp, Tristan and Nebula were hiding behind a thick tree in each other's arms with their scrolls in hand, where they were exchanging lewd photos with each other. "I definitely don't have these in my collection, thanks, Tristy," Nebula told him after receiving a batch of photos from, which she rewarded with a kiss. "Also, you were really cool when that woman attacked our camp."

"Aw, it was nothing, really," Tristan argued while blushing.

"Although, it was strange that my weapon or that soldier's couldn't harm her, yet yours and Lucas' did."

"Yeah, that was kinda odd, but whatever, we scared her off."

"Yes, and you were quite the hero when you shot her hand off too. That'll teach her not to mess with the Big, Bad Wolf." They closed together in a loving kiss, which quickly got extreme when they started exchanging tongues, but they were soon interrupted by a "ahem" sound. Breaking apart, Tristan and Nebula were greeted with Grace Evergreen standing over them.

"I know I'm interrupting something here, but I just heard that you shot Cinder Fall with one of your Aura arrows, Tristan," Grace told him with a smile. "I'm very proud to see that you've come far since I last saw you back in Mistral."

"Um, hi, Grace. Fancy seeing you here," Tristan told her. "This is Nebula, my girlfriend."

"My, my, only a couple months at Beacon and you already have a girlfriend. Impressive." Grace introduced herself to Nebula and shook her hand. "Now, I need you two to accompany back to camp." The two were annoyed that they had to abandon their alone time, but they followed her.

At camp, they met with Pecado Midnight, who, like Grace, brought an airship full of Huntsmen and Huntresses to aid in the upcoming battles, as well as relief supplies and weaponry. Next to Pecado was Lucas, who introduced Pecado as his old teacher who sent him to Beacon with a scholarship as well as give him his weapon, which Pecado used long ago, just as Grace used to wield the blades she gave Tristan. The two headmasters headed to Glynda to help with the retaking of Vale, and while there, they expressed their disappointment of Ironwood's failure in protecting Vale.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Cinder teleported back to Emerald and Mercury, who were hiding with the car a short distance away. Emerald quickly got Cinder into the car and Mercury drove off, hoping to get away from the camp before patrols went out looking for them. Cinder winced at her stump and focused her Draíochta into it, making the black energy flow like embers that quickly formed into a pitch black hand made of Draíochta. Cinder marveled at her new hand as she bent all her fingers. "I can't believe that the Paladins gave their weapons to children. Children of all people!" Cinder growled to herself while Emerald was shrunk in her seat, watching her silently and scared.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Patch Island**

The Arc sisters arrived at the small port town on Patch Island and were escorted to the Xiao Long house by Qrow. There, the sisters went straight to find Jaune, who was in the backyard huddled over a large rock with a hammer and chisel. "Jaune, how are you doing?" Noire asked him as they approached him. Jaune was silent, choosing to ignore them as he continued his work.

"Jaune, we have some bad news. Mom, dad, Verte, Violet, Argenté, and Rouge…they're dead…" Bleu told him, making him freeze up. "…They were killed by some woman who wielded some kind of fire Dust." This made Jaune stop and slam his hammer and chisel to the ground.

"Did she wear a red dress and were her eyes glowing like fire?" Jaune coldly asked.

"Yes, she was, and her name is Cinder Fall," Blanche answered. Jaune immediately jumped to his feet and went for the house, but Blanche stopped him. "Don't even THINK of going after her!"

"I have to!" Jaune yelled at her, giving her a shove.

"Not when you're so weak! She'll kill you in seconds!" She shoved back.

"But it's my destiny! I have to kill her to protect the world!" Another shove at Blanche.

"I know it's your destiny, but you not going to fulfill it without mastering your Draíochta!" This stopped Jaune in his place. "I know who you are, Jaune, I've always known. And I'm telling you that you're not going to kill Cinder and get revenge for our family and Pyrrha, not the way you are now." She pulled Jaune into a hug, where he began crying. "I know it's hard, but you have to accept that right now, you are weak and are no match against her. You have to get stronger, but most importantly, you have to keep moving forward." Bleu and Noire joined the hug as well, and the last four Arcs collapsed onto the ground and continued holding each other.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

As the sun barely peaked over the horizon that early morning, while everyone was asleep, Jaune, completely awake, got out of bed and quietly dressed, strapped his sword to his left hip and tied Pyrrha's circlet on his right. He went to the closet, where he retrieved a backpack, a sleeping bag, and a warm coat he set up in there earlier. He went back to his bed, taking care to tread lightly as Ren and Nora were asleep on cots in his room—they both wanted to keep him company—and laid a handwritten note atop his pillow, then he took his leave, carefully closing the door behind him. He then headed for the guest room, where he took a quick look upon the sleeping Velvet and Cardin, then took his leave. He did the same in Yang's room, as well as Ruby's, both of which he did nothing but watch them for a moment before leaving. Finally, he went to the living room, where his sisters were asleep.

Bleu was stretched out on one of the couches with a wool blanket half-covering her. Bleu took after their mother, inheriting her blue eyes and black hair, which Bleu tied with streaks of blue. Jaune went to her and pulled the blanket up to her neck, then he gave her a kiss on the forehead; Bleu was always a heavy sleeper, so she did not register the kiss. He then went to Noire, who was curled up on the comfy recliner in a sleeping bag, and brushed at her jet black hair. He made a passing glance at the sleeping Blanche on the floor and headed for the front door.

"Leaving already?" came the whisper of Blanche's voice, making him freeze. "Come here for a moment." Jaune obeyed and bent down to his sister's level. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sorry, Blanche, but I have to go. I have to go train to become the Dànsling," Jaune whispered.

"I understand. Just do me a favor and try not to overexert yourself. And whatever you do, do not go after Cinder Fall, not yet, anyway," she warned him."

"Then when would the right time be?"

"My bag, go get it." She pointed over towards a wall where her armor, sword, and a handbag were. Jaune brought it back, where she fished out a necklace bearing a small talisman upon it. Upon closer inspection, Jaune recognized the talisman is in fact a stone with Pyrrha's emblem inscribed upon it. "Yes, that's Pyrrha Nikos' emblem, but it is also the mark of Aziela, as you already know. It is also the emblem of the Holy Spear."

"The Holy Spear…" Jaune repeated to himself.

"The Holy Spear is a band of knights that has protected Remnant for generations, and they were the main force against the Grimm during the Great War. The Holy Spear has lost its reputation since the Huntsmen and Huntresses were formed, however."

"I read the story of the Knights of Aziela once. So…the Holy Spear are the Knights of Aziela?" Blanche nodded. "So, you're one of these knights too?"

"I am. So is your uncle Gris. We've both been with the Holy Spear trying to restore it to its former glory, and we both were tasked by Aziela to watch over you for your entire childhood."

Jaune was astonished. "Wow…I just…Wow…" he mumbled. He put the talisman around his neck and under his hoodie. "Why are you giving me this?"

"When the time comes that you are ready to fulfill your destiny as the Dànsling, go to the Town of Helten in the kingdom of Vale. There, go to the inn and speak to a woman named Nova. Show her the talisman and tell her in these exact words 'the sun brings light and strength to her knights' and she will lead you to the Holy Spear. While you are gone, Gris and I will work to gather the Oath and its members back together for your return."

"'My return? Why would you be waiting for me?"

"Jaune, you're also destined to lead the Oath of the Holy Spear, just as our great-great grandfather Jaundice was their leader long ago, as was someone of our family for each generation," Blanche explained, surprising Jaune. "Our family's legacy goes back a long way, you know, more so than a bunch of Arc Knights." Jaune swallowed hard and nodded.

"So, does that mean you have Draíochta like I do?" he asked.

"No, I have Aura as any other person would. Only those chosen by Aziela are born with Draíochta, much like you"

"It's kinda confusing."

"It will make sense to you in time, especially when you meet the next generation of Guardians among your friends." Before Jaune could stand up, Blanche pulled him into a hug. "I always believed in you, you know, even despite your shortcomings," she whispered to him. "I know you will become a great Dànsling."

Jaune sniffled and inhaled a breath, trying to keep himself from crying. "Thank you, Blanche…I love you…"

"I love you too, little brother…" Blanche pulled away with a smile and wiped at his wet cheeks. "Remember, with each dawn, the sun brings a new day while casting away the darkness." Jaune nodded and took his leave, taking one more glance at Blanche and his sisters, the white one still watching him as he exited the Xiao Long house.

Jaune took a deep breath and headed down the path towards the port town. _"You did not say goodbye to any of them, not even Blanche,"_ said the voice of Aziela inside his head.

"I know," Jaune said aloud. He instantly thought back to when Team JNPR returned from their shadowing mission and Pyrrha and her mother parted ways.

 _"Well, I must go submit your team's report to Ozpin now," Pandora told all of four of them in front of Beacon._

 _"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Nikos," Jaune told her, earning a smile of gratitude from her. Nora and Ren gave their compliments._

 _"It was good seeing you so soon, mom," Pyrrha told her before Pandora took her leave._

 _"Don't you want to say goodbye, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked her._

 _"No. See, my mother taught me ever since I was young to never say goodbye. She said that if you don't say 'goodbye,' then you aren't really gone. You just aren't here right now. It's supposed to mean that you really want to see that person again," she explained._

"I don't want to say goodbye to any of my friends or sisters because I will see them again one day. I don't say goodbye unless I intend to never see them again," Jaune told her.

 _"Such wonderful words. Jaune, if you wish to begin your training even sooner, then I have a much quicker means of getting to the island than what you wish to do. Look behind you."_ Jaune spun around and was met with Aziela herself, clad in her dazzling armor and her long, flowing red hair. "Come," she said, beckoning him with her hand.

Jaune followed her into the woods, where she lead him to a large lake. She touched the water with her boot and the surface shined with a white light, and a new figure appeared beside Jaune. She was clad in green robes and she had moss green hair and matching green eyes. "Hello, Dànsling, I am Iris, the Nature Mother," the Goddess introduced herself.

"Jaune wishes to go to the Island of Maidens, Iris. Can you connect this lake to the island's?" Aziela asked her.

"A simple task," Iris laughed. She walked out onto the lake, her feet never passing through the water's surface, and her entire body shimmered with a white light, which seeped down her body through her feet and onto the lake's surface. "Now, enter the water and come to me, Jaune Arc." Jaune was hesitant, but he eventually went out into the water and swam for Iris. "Now, you shall sink, but do not fret, for you will not drown in this water."

"Good luck, Jaune. I shall see you again once you pass the tests," Aziela called to him.

"Tests? What tests?" Jaune questioned, but Aziela had disappeared completely. He turned to Iris, who suddenly dropped a large rock into his arms with a "Here you go," making him cry out as the heavy rock began dragging him under. The last thing he saw before the clear blue water overtook his vision was Iris smiling down onto him and waving. Jaune quickly let go of the rock, but he continued to sink and at the same speed as the rock. He clasped his hands over his mouth as air bubbles escaped his lips. _Shit, I'm gonna die!_ his mind screamed at him as his last air bubbles left him and he accepted his fate.

However, Jaune did not feel water rush into his lungs, nor did it feel like water at all despite its density and how he was still sinking. All around him was nothing but clear blue water and he soon realized that he could breathe actual air. As he continued sinking, he took deep breaths and began to sing a jingle, now finding entertainment in this newfound phenomena. The rock was still sinking with him, so he grabbed hold of it and his descent increased in speed. Eventually, he looked down and saw what appeared to be the surface rising up towards him with what looked like a forest outside of it. Jaune suddenly felt his entire body twist around and right itself up and he breached the surface, taking in a lungful of air. He clambered for the edge of the lake and dragged himself onto land. He took a look at the morning sky and lost consciousness.

Soon enough, four young women appeared from the trees spotted him and went to him. "Ah, so this is the Dànsling," spoke one of them clad in winter white and ice blue robes. Her eyes were the color of ice and her hair a snow white.

"He's young…and handsome!" remarked another, clad in a vibrant green dress and having matching hair and eyes. She had a crown of leaves in her hair.

"I told you I saw him atop Beacon the other night!" went another, this one with purple hair and wearing a simply shirt and shorts with suspenders. "I saw his Draíochta light up the tower, but you didn't believe me!"

"Look at him, he looks like he's endured a lot already for one so young," noted the last, this one with orange hair and wearing a matching colored skirted uniform of sorts. She lifted Jaune's right hand and the mark of Aziela glowed through his glove. "He is certainly the Dànsling, alright. Let's take him to the beach where he can start the first test. Who wants to do it with him?"

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" yelped the green girl with excitement.

"Very well, Spring." The four Maidens lifted Jaune up and carefully carried him away.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby awoke that same morning a while later to find herself in her room surrounded by her father, uncle, and Kyler. She sat up in bed and rubbed at her eyes, which caught the attention of Zwei, who just wandered inside and gave a yelp, awakening the three men. "Ruby, it's good to see you're awake!" Taiyang exclaimed, giving his daughter a big hug.

"How you doin', kiddo?" Qrow asked her.

"I kinda hurt all over," she answered. "What happened?"

"A lot has happened," said Kyler. "We lost Vale to the Grimm; the entire city is swarming with them and the Grimm Dragon is frozen atop Beacon thanks to you."

"Wait, thanks to me?"

"Yup. Although, it's still alive, it's just frozen permanently atop Beacon. Glynda is already forming an army to retake Vale so the CCT can be rebuilt," Qrow told her.

"What about Yang? Is she okay? Is everyone else okay?" Ruby suddenly grew worried for her sister.

"Yang is…She's okay." Taiyang seemed unsure of her answer. "She's in her room, but she doesn't want to talk to anyone. But don't worry, Yang won't let this stop her."

"Let what stop her?" Ruby was puzzled.

"You can see for yourself soon, but right now, we need to know what happened atop Beacon Tower," Kyler insisted.

"Kyler, do we really need to go into _that_ right now?" Qrow asked him. Kyler ignored him and asked Ruby again.

"I…I remember landing into Ozpin's office and…" Ruby gave a gasp. "…Pyrrha! Is she okay?!" Ruby pleaded with tears.

"She's gone…" Kyler softly answered, which made Ruby burst into tears. "Continue, Ruby."

"I saw Pyrrha…and Cinder…" More tears flowed as Ruby bit her lip, unable to say it. "…And then my head started feeling funny, like I was having a migraine, then everything went white, and I screamed for Pyrrha…"

"That's enough. It's all we need to know," Kyler told her, resting his hand on hers.

"Mister Wolf…" Ruby mumbled, tears streaking down her cheeks. "Jaune…Is Jaune okay? Does he know about Pyrrha?"

"Yeah, he knows. He's in the other room sleeping. You can see him soon." Ruby nodded but continued to cry.

"Ruby, do you remember what Ozpin said when you met him for the first time?" Qrow asked her.

"Um, he said something about my eyes being silver."

"That's right, silver eyes. You have silver eyes just like your mother did. Silver eyes are an extremely rare trait to have," Kyler told her.

"But what do my eyes have anything to do with that Grimm Dragon?" Ruby asked.

Kyler sat himself onto her bed and looked at Taiyang and Qrow, who both nodded. "See, silver eyes are only seen once every generation. Silver eyes are not passed down through offspring, but they are given to special mortals by Oum, Lord of AboveRealm, and those with silver eyes wield mystical power that the Grimm fear."

"Mister Wolf, what are you talking about? You're not making any sense," Ruby told him.

"You're special, Ruby, just like how your mother was special, and how Kyler here is special," said Qrow. Kyler rubbed at his eyes for a moment and withdrew two green contact lenses and revealed that his eyes were not green, but silver.

"Those who are born with silver eyes are destined to serve Oum as his Laghsling, just as I was destined to do so over a thousand years," Kyler told her, surprising Ruby with his silver eyes. "Yes, the fairy tale of the Paladins of Remnant is real, it always has been real, and I am a Laghsling, the very first Paladin."

Ruby stared awestruck at Kyler. "Mister Wolf…you have…silver eyes…?"

"Yes, my eyes are silver, just like yours and your mother's."

"I…I…I duh…" Ruby stuttered out, unsure of what to say. Kyler turned to Qrow and Taiyang.

"Should I tell her?" They both nodded and he turned back to Ruby. "Also, there's…something you need to know about your mother…as well as the circumstances surrounding your birth…" Kyler started, swallowing hard. He took a deep breath while Ruby looked puzzled. "See…Your mother…"

Kyler did not finish his sentence as Nora busted the door opened and looked panicked. "Jaune's gone!" she cried before rushing back to her room with everyone behind her, including Ruby. Inside the room, Jaune's sisters as well as Cardin and Velvet were there, and they were all equally worried except for Blanche. "See, when I woke up, first thing I did was jump onto Ren's cot to wake him up so he can make me pancakes for breakfast, and that's when I saw that Jaune's bed was empty! Course, I figured 'hey, he's probably already awake and taking a shower or something!' but he wasn't! And there was this note on his bed!" Nora hastily explained while shoving said note into everyone's faces.

Qrow took the note from her and read it aloud:

 _"To everyone, by the time you read this, I will be gone. Don't come looking for me and don't worry about me. I am safe. After everything that has happened, especially with Pyrrha and my family, I cannot stand by and wait anymore. I'm weak, and no amount of encouragement from my friends will say otherwise. I want to become stronger, and to do that, I had to leave as per Aziela's orders._

 _"Ruby, I don't know what happened atop Beacon Tower while you were there, but please know that I don't blame you for Pyrrha. I know who you really are, and I hope to one day stand side by side with you in the battles to come. Ren, Nora, you two are the best teammates I could ever ask for. No matter what, we will always be Team JNPR. Ren, you're like the brother I never had. Thank you for everything."_ Ruby began tearing up and Nora clung herself to Ren.

 _"Velvet, Cardin, if you two are in fact Paladins as I suspect, then know that our enemies are more powerful than you can imagine, even though I have only seen a glimpse of Cinder Fall's powers. Please be careful and I hope to see you beside Ruby and I in the future._

 _"Please understand that I'm no longer the boy you knew back at Beacon anymore. I died atop the tower that night with Pyrrha. The boy you knew is gone. But when I return one day, I will be a man ready to protect the world as a Paladin. -Jaune."_

"What is Jaune talking about? Who I really am? Paladins?" Ruby questioned. Cardin and Velvet understood what Jaune's letter meant, and they were both content to know that Jaune was okay.

Before Kyler or Qrow could answer her, the door bell rang. Kyler answered it and found Grace Evergreen and Pecado Moonlight at the door, who invited themselves in. The three Paladins went to the others, where the two headmasters met with Cardin and Velvet. "I assume you two know who you really are?" Grace asked them, which they answered yes to.

"Good, then let's just sum things up real quick," Pecado added. "You two are Paladins, and we are Paladins as well, here to take you away to train you how to utilize your Draíochta to its fullest potential, give you magical weapons, and turn you into the next heroes of Remnant. Sound simple enough?" Cardin and Velvet both silently nodded.

"Pecado, you can't be so upfront about such things," Grace snapped at him, going to Velvet and getting down at her level. "Listen, we will explain everything all in due time, but with the attack on Vale and the recent attack on the Arc family, we have to move you all out sooner than planned."

"Um, can I visit my teammates before we go though?" Velvet asked her.

"Of course, but we must be quick."

"If you want to see your comrades as well, you may," Pecado told Cardin. Cardin was happy to hear that.

"Ruby, we best pack up and leave as well," Kyler told the little rose before leaving the room.

"Dad, Uncle Qrow, what is going on?!" Ruby asked them.

"I'll explain it to you in a bit, kiddo, but you do what Kyler told you. Pack up and don't forget to bring Crescent Rose with you," Qrow told her, leading her to her room with his hand on her back.

Ruby, Velvet, Cardin, Ren, Nora, and the Paladins packed for their trips. Ren and Nora were told they were to return to the Vale Encampment to assist Glynda in the fight to reclaim Vale. With nothing left for them in Patch and with Jaune and Pyrrha gone, the two decided this was the best course. The teens all met out front of the Xiao Long House while the adults were inside in Taiyang's room.

"I'm staying here to care for Yang. I can't imagine what she must be going through after everything," Taiyang told everyone after they finished packing.

"We understand," said Grace. "We must wait and see if Raven ever returns home for Yang so she can prepare her as the next Cothrosling." Grace and Pecado went to Velvet, Cardin, Ren, and Nora and they departed after the teens said their goodbyes to their friends. At the Vale Encampment, Velvet and Cardin reunited with their teammates and quickly explained the situation, thought their friends barely believed a word they said, and given that they could see their tattoos, there was no point in showing those to explain further. Velvet explained to Team CFVY that she would be going away for a while and they all embraced in a big hug.

"You better come back soon, got it?" Coco told her partner before Grace and Velvet departed in a bullhead.

Cardin gave one final command to his team to aid in the fight for Vale as much as they can, to which they agreed. "I'll be back before you even realize it," he told them before boarding the bullhead with Pecado.

Back on Patch, Kyler was heading towards Yang's room where Ruby was when Qrow appeared and stopped him. "Kyler, I'm coming with you," Qrow simply said.

"No, you're needed to help Glynda and the new Guardians," Kyler asserted.

"No, I'm coming with you, and that's final. You don't know Ruby like I do. Just because she's your successor doesn't mean you know her like I do. You weren't there for her while she was growing up, so don't pretend you can understand what she will be going through, especially when you have to tell her the truth about us and Summer!"

Kyler let out a sigh. "Qrow, you know I never meant to do it…"

"Yeah, well, you still did it anyway."

"If I could take back what I did, I would…"

"You've said that loads of times in the past, and it means absolute bullshit. Where were you the news came that Summer died? Where were you when Ruby needed her father and Taiyang shut down? Where were you her entire life?" Qrow growled, his voice growing louder with each question. "That's right! You were too busy protecting the world from evil! I was there for her every godsdamn time! I was there when she needed someone to hold when her mother died! I was there to help her recover from it all! I was there to raise her when her mother and father weren't there for her! I was there to teach her combat and made her the Huntress she is now while you have to go and thrust your fucking destiny onto her!"

"Qrow, please…"

Qrow suddenly grabbed Kyler by his coat and slammed him into the wall while Kyler offered no resistance. He slammed Kyler's head into the wall a few more times, denting in the drywall. "You stole Ruby from me, you fucking bastard!" Qrow screamed at him with tears in his eyes. "You stole my daughter from me!" Two more head slams and Qrow let go of him, allowing Kyler to fall against the hallway cabinet for support. He rubbed the back of his head and looked straight at Qrow with tears down his cheeks.

"I swear I never wanted this," he blubbered. "If I could take back what I did, I would, I swear to the Gods. When Ruby was born, I prayed constantly that she was yours, and when the test results came, I felt so ashamed at what I did, what Summer and I did. I wished that we could've kept it a secret from you, I really do…" Qrow stared down at the crying man before him. "…And what about you, Qrow? Do you think you're any better than I when you left the woman you loved out of anger? She told me once about how much you yelled at her for what happened and how angry you were…She broke down in tears in my arms and wished things could go back to normal…Summer only wanted you, not me…" Qrow went wide-eyed at this knowledge. "Qrow…you're right…I need you to come with Ruby and I. She needs the man that should've been her father for when she becomes the Laghsling."

Qrow was silent for a moment, then he lifted Kyler back up. "That's all I wanted, Old Wolf," he told him.

In Yang's room, Yang had just told Ruby what happened to Weiss, Blake, and Vale. "There has to be a reason…" Ruby started, hoping to suggest as to why Blake ran away.

"No, there doesn't!" Yang shot at her. "Sometimes bad things just happen without a reason. It doesn't matter anyway. I don't care about Blake anymore."

"That's not true!" Ruby retorted.

"Yes, it is!" Yang yelled at her. "I tried to save her from that psycho Adam and look what happened to me!" Yang twisted her body so Ruby could get a full view of her right stump, which made her feel sad. "I tried to save Blake, I lost my arm, and then she just ran away! It's what she does, Ruby! Whenever her past catches up to her, she runs away without a care for anyone but herself!"

"But…Blake loves us…"

"No, she doesn't. She only cares about herself."

Ruby was silent for a moment. "Yang…"

"Just leave me alone." Ruby went forward to give Yang a hug, but the blonde stuck her hand out and stopped her. Ruby back away and headed for the door.

"I love you, Yang," she said. "Listen…I'm going away for a…while. I've got something important of some kind to do…I don't know when I'll be back."

"You do what you want, I don't care anymore" Yang told her as Ruby left to see Qrow and Kyler waiting for her.

"Guess what, kiddo. I'm coming along with you two for your journey," Qrow told her, which got Ruby feeling a little better.

"Ready to go? Ready to start your journey as a hero, Ruby?" Kyler asked her, to which Ruby nodded.

And thus, Ruby, Qrow, and Kyler left the Xiao Long House and headed into the forest, where they came upon the same lake that Jaune used. They waited at the edge until a young man dressed in a red shirt, a white jacket, black pants, and with a yellowish-tan tint to his skin appeared behind them. His hair was scraggly and black, his eyes dark, and he wore a kind smile.

"Are you ready to begin the journey to become a Paladin?" Oum calmly asked the young Rose.

"I'm ready."

Oum laid his hand into the water and the surface shimmered with a bright light. The three stepped into the water and walked forward until they became submerged and disappeared.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

In the Xiao Long's backyard, Iris stood before the small boulder Jaune was chiseling at the other day. "Hm…He never finished it," she said to herself before tracing her fingers along the rocky surface, inscribing letters upon it with her touch. Once she finished, she clapped her hands together and placed one hand on the grass before the boulder. Instantly, a small cluster of junipers sprouted up and formed a neat spot before the boulder. Iris, pleased with her work, disappeared.

The inscription on the boulder read:

 _"Pyrrha Nikos_

 _"In Passing, We Achieve Immortality."_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Dark Realm of Remnant**

Ozpin sat in a prison cell restrained with a rustic chain and ball inside Salem's Castle. Ever since he arrived and witnessed the horrible fate that had befallen Pyrrha and Summer Rose, all he could do was wallow in misery knowing that they are suffering these fates because of him. Salem soon came around and went to him. "How are you doing in here?" she playfully asked. He gave her no answer. "Oh, Ozpin, are you still grief-stricken by your discovery of what happened to Summer? That she and Pyrrha are now my generals and will have to fight their former friends?"

Salem bent down to Ozpin's level and lifted his chin up, making him stare into her blood red eyes. "You gave them their fate, Ozpin. How ironic for Summer though, to have her life ruined twice by a man she trusted. Tell me, did you think nothing about Qrow and Summer when you gave Kyler the order to impregnate the girl? Did you not think of how your decision would ruin their lives, as well as Ruby's should the secret ever be known to Qrow? Did you not care you tricked a woman into cheating on her husband, all so that a child born of two Paladins can come into the world and be cursed with the destiny to defend it as a Paladin herself?"

Ozpin bit his lip. "I did what I thought was best for the world," he answered after some hesitation. "I knew our world was going to need a powerful Paladin one day, so I did what I did for the world."

"You lied to Kyler though. You told him that it was dictated by the Gods that he and Summer conceive a child together to create a child born with Draíochta and blessed by Oum, yet you cared neither for Qrow's thoughts, Summer's, or even Kyler's. He obeyed you under the false pretension it was the will of the Gods. You destroyed a happy marriage and four lives with one little lie, all for the world of Remnant." Salem's lips curled into a smile and she traced a finger along Ozpin's cheek. "When Ruby Rose has grown up and she comes forward as the next Laghsling, I will destroy her and show you that your smaller, most honest soul born of two Paladins is pathetic compared to my power." Salem exited the cell, giving Ozpin a sinister toothy grin before departing, leaving the old wizard to weep, curled up in a corner.

 **Next Chapter: The Blooming of a Rose**


	6. The Blooming of a Rose

**Chapter 6: The Blooming of a Rose**

 _"Draíochta and magical abilities were not all the Paladins had at their disposal in the war against Sheena and the Grimm. The weapons they wielded were forged Above and Below, all with special metals mortals would call 'Heavenly Steels.' Oum's Laghsling had a weapon made of 'Lexia,' a steel founded Above, from which Oum forged a great black blade from and gave unto his Paladin."_

 _"These weapons were said to be indestructible and could not be marred by any mortal tool or weapon, though their appearances could be altered at their Paladin's command, if they so wished."_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **November 21st 1580**

 **The Island of Vytal**

Ruby was currently engaged in a friendly fight against Kyler Carnaid in front of the huge log cabin house they lived in, where her Uncle Qrow sat on the front steps watching them. "Keep moving, Ruby! Watch your footwork!" Kyler warned her as he rushed forward with his sword leading, bypassing her scythe and tripping her to the ground, where she landed in a clump with an "oof!" Qrow let out a hearty laugh.

"Don't laugh at me like that!" Ruby whined as she righted herself up.

"Not bad, but you still have a long way to go," Kyler noted as his sheathed his sword, Bloody Tears. "It's only been a few days since we left Patch and your combat knowledge hasn't changed for the better."

"Why do I have to relearn everything for this Paladin and Draíochta stuff? Why can't I fight like any other Huntress?"

"The Paladins do not fight like Huntsmen or Huntresses, they must fight as warriors beyond their reach, setting themselves apart from them and showcasing that they are destined heroes," Kyler reminded her, as he has said this once on their first day. "Now, tell me what sort of Draíochta does the Laghsling wield?"

Ruby bit her finger to help her think. "I think you said it was some kind of neutral Draíochta or something," Ruby answered.

"Correct. The Laghsling's Draíochta is neither light or dark." Kyler drew out a knife and slid it across his hand, drawing blood. "All Paladins are able to heal their wounds using their Draíochta…" He showed his hand to Ruby, where she watched the cut seal itself up and the bleeding ceased. "…And we use our Draíochta for offense as well…" Spying a simply sunflower nearby, Kyler raised the same hand to it, and a pinpoint ray of his red Draíochta shot from his palm, striking the sunflower and vaporizing it to ash instantly. "…However the various powers of Draíochta differ between Paladins, depending on whose God they belong to."

"What sort of magic do I get?" Ruby asked curiously.

"The Laghsling belongs to Oum, and as such, he entrusts many magical powers to his Paladin, the only exceptions being powers exclusive to the other Gods, like Aziela's healing circles, and Iris' elemental powers. I will show you the sort of power you will wield in due time."

Kyler went to the forest trees adjacent to the cabin, and from within, a giant Beowolf cast in white, brilliant fur and a gleaming white skull emerged. Ruby drew Crescent Rose until she saw Kyler rest his hand upon its face and it bowed before him. Kyler whispered some words to the beast and it turned and ran into the forest.

"Now, your objective is to go into the forest, find that Celestial Beowolf, and bring it back with you as its leader. Once you find it, you must defeat it in battle so it accepts you. If you fail, it shall bring you back itself." Kyler gave Ruby a pat on the shoulder and sent her off into the forest, then went inside the cabin with Qrow.

"How well do you think she'll do the first time?" Kyler casually asked Qrow as the ancient Paladin poured them both some iced tea from the fridge.

"I think the Beowolf will be bringing her back within a few hours. It came back with Summer within three, if I recall correctly," Kyler chuckled followed by a sip.

"So, how do you intend to tell Ruby the truth about you and Summer?" Qrow asked him, sipping his tea.

"Honestly, after playing so many different scenarios in my head, I don't want to. I don't think Ruby should ever know the truth about me. It could destroy her," Kyler admitted.

Qrow glanced down at his glass. "I think you're right…Maybe it's better that way…"

Both men were silent for a moment when Qrow chose to change the subject. "How difficult was it, training Summer?" Qrow asked her, making Kyler pause. "I mean, I didn't see her for about three years when you took her away to become the Laghsling."

"It was difficult, as always, but Summer always kept getting back up and trying each time she failed. I often had to lay her exhausted body in her bed most days," Kyler revealed. Qrow set his drink down and fished out his flask. "Qrow, I swear to the Six Divines above, I would never have…"

"You don't have to say it," Qrow interrupted, handing him the flask first. Kyler took a swig from it and handed it back, where Qrow drank from it. "You only did what you were instructed to do, and what you did gave me Ruby. Ruby gave both Yang and Taiyang someone to live for after Raven left, and the same for me."

"What do you mean? I ruined your marriage because of it."

"It was my fault too. I drove Summer away when I found out and refused to learn the truth. I refused to be a part of Ruby's life until Summer died, and I was so stupid doing that." Another swig. "I should've gotten the facts from both you and Summer…I'm sorry, Kyler."

Kyler embraced the old bird in a tight hug. "I'm sorry too, Qrow." They both hugged for a moment before breaking apart.

"Look, I should probably return to the others, help out at recovering Vale, y'know?" Qrow remarked. "You look out for my little girl, got it? You make sure she turns stronger than her mom. I'll come back to visit her when I get time too."

"I promise. I swear it by the Gods Above."

Outside the window, Ruby and the Celestial Beowolf returned, though the Beowolf was carrying Ruby in its mouth as if she was its pup, and Ruby appeared rather upset about it. "Well, it looks like training Ruby will take longer than you think," Qrow laughed.

Once the Beowolf dropped Ruby off and went back into the forest, Qrow said his farewell to her, earning himself a big hug from Ruby, then took his leave. "Shall we try again, or do you need a break first?" Kyler asked her with a smile. Ruby returned the smile and eagerly headed back into the forest with Crescent Rose drawn.

 _You raised a wonderful daughter, Summer. I'll make you proud._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

It ended up taking Ruby over three months to finally defeat the Celestial Beowolf, which she rode upon while returning to the cabin while giggling to herself. "Well done, Ruby!" Kyler complimented when she climbed down off the Beowolf. "You've succeeded quite well in defeating the Celestial Beowolf." Kyler had the Beowolf stay outside while he and Ruby went in to have some lunch. Inside, Ruby was greeted by Zwei, who Qrow brought over about a week ago to keep Ruby company. The corgi jumped into the little Rose's arms with a yelp, to which Ruby took him to the couch so the pup could crawl over her while Kyler made sandwiches for the two. "So, I would like to know how you defeated the Celestial Beowolf," he asked midway through their meal.

Ruby scratched Zwei under his chin, making him pant like crazy and roll over in her lap. "Well, the little guy here was quite vicious, but I found that by luring him to the shore thanks to my Propulsion Semblance, I was able to trap him among the jagged rocks where he couldn't maneuver as well, and I eventually got him to yield," she gleefully explained.

"Interesting. Your mother did something similar, except she defeated it in under three months and by luring the Beowolf into a tall thicket of tree branches, where it eventually lost its footing, making it fall to the ground resulting in instant defeat for it."

"Mister Wolf, I was wondering…could you tell me about mom? I mean, like, the sort of training and other stuff she did? You said that those with silver eyes are given them by Oum upon birth and that they are destined to serve him. So…my mom was a Paladin like you and me?"

"Yes, she was. I had to train her like I am with you less than a year after she graduated from Beacon," Kyler explained with a kind smile. "Like you, she was always happy and full of spirit, not wanting to give up on something until she completed it."

"That sounds like mom, alright," Ruby chuckled.

"She was a good person, loved by all, and known for being an incredible woman, both on and off the battlefield…It was impossible for anyone to not admire her in the slightest." Kyler stole a glance at the smiling girl. _And you look so much like Summer, right down to the tiniest detail, except for…_ Kyler glanced down at Ruby's right ankle, where he could see the mark of Oum shine through her stockings, thanks to him being a Paladin. "You did good today. How about you turn in for the rest of the night and we can start on teaching you some magical abilities?" Ruby nodded and ran off to her bedroom with Zwei behind her.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"You must focus! Focus Draíochta into your hand and envision what you wish to do!" Kyler ordered as he stood behind Ruby, who was grasping her right hand. She grunted as she tried focusing her Draíochta into her hand to create a projectile attack. She puffed her cheeks and heaved, but quickly relaxed and let her hands hang limb.

"I can't do it," she admitted. "It's too difficult."

"You've been trying for three days now, I wouldn't expect you to do it on your first try, but I was hoping you'd progress a little in that time." Kyler held up his hand towards a wooden log and his hand grew bright with a crimson light. A cone of Draíochta burst from his palm with a bang and turned the log into splinters. "You must envision what you want your Draíochta to do and convert it into an attack and use it, just as you would use your Semblance. Try again."

Ruby let out a sigh, but tried again anyway. She raised a gripped hand towards another log and concentrated. Her body tensed up, her teeth gnashed together, and a few sweat drops dribbled down her head, but she did it; a small, crackling ball of red Draíochta formed in her palm and spun around it. Ruby slipped an open smile at Kyler, who smiled as well. "Now focus on forming that Draíochta into a physical attack." Ruby concentrating, envisioning her Draíochta like Kyler did. She shot her hand forward at the log and her Draíochta shot out. It appeared like a inconsistent cone ray that did not make it five feet from her hand before it faded into nothing. "Not bad, but still a long way to go." Kyler gave her a pat on the back.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby was dashing through the forests of Vytal at blinding speeds thanks to her propulsion Semblance and with Crescent Rose deployed, where she struck down wooden targets planted throughout the woods; a training regime set up by Kyler to test her speed and weapon accuracy. She flew past the trees which were only blurs to her, shifting her eyes left and right to spot the targets before firing onto them. She skidded to a stop at a corner point then took off again towards the beach, popping off a few more targets before stopping at the shoreline, where she sat down to catch her breath.

At that moment, a weathered, black wolf with silver eyes trotted over to her, where it snuggled against her and she in turn scratched him under his chin. "You hit every one of the targets and you made it here quicker than I imagined," spoke the wolf, which was actually Kyler. They took some time to relax before returning to the cabin to continue training.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

On a cliff near the cabin, Ruby and Kyler said across from each other with their legs crossed. "I will help you understand your Silver Eyes to their fullest extend, but first, I want you to tell me about the night of the Battle of Beacon, when you first unlocked your eyes. Tell me about what you were feeling atop Beacon Tower," Kyler asked of her.

"I was feeling…" Ruby stuttered, being reminded of that horrifying night. "…Horror…fear…sadness…There was a lot…" Memories of watching Penny get torn to pieces and Pyrrha shot and disintegrated…Watching Vale fall to the Grimm…Yang unconscious with an arm missing… "…I don't want to think of any of that night anymore…"

Kyler pulled her into a hug to comfort her. He soon heard low whimpers from Ruby, who was crying into his coat. "The power of our Silver Eyes are linked to our emotions. While we must control the Silver Eyes to use at will, we can unleash them at incredible levels of power in extreme outbursts of our emotions," he explained to her.

"So…I could use the full power of my eyes if one of my friends was dying?" Ruby mumbled out. Kyler nodded. He pulled her away. "I want to try…"

"Good to hear." They both sat down again. "Now, imagine yourself back at Beacon Tower. Imagine this time, Cinder has Yang at her whim and she is about to kill her. You can stop her, but you need the Silver Eyes. Play out the scenario in your mind."

Ruby imagined herself back at Beacon Tower, with Cinder and before her with her bow pointing at Yang's back. _"Ruby, just run away!"_ cried the Yang in her vision. Ruby dared not move, knowing that Cinder will shoot Yang. _"Please, just let her go!"_

 _"What will you do, little Rose?"_ taunted Cinder.

Ruby looked at Yang, who was crying and clutching at her bloody stump. _"Please don't hurt Yang! Take me, just let her go!"_ Ruby bartered. Cinder smirked and let her arrow fly. _"NOOO!"_ Ruby screamed, turning her eyes pure white and sending rays of white energy flying out and attacking Cinder.

Ruby, who had her eyes closed during her daydream, suddenly opened them, revealing that they had turned white as they did atop Beacon Tower. A few teardrops of white energy fell from her eyes. "I feel…feel so…hot…" Ruby stammered out.

Kyler smiled and he switched his eyes to appear like Ruby's. "Well done, Ruby," he smiled.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby concentrated on her own body, envisioning her Draíochta surrounding her body. "Picture it as if it were clothes," Kyler commanded as he strolled around her in a circle. Ruby focused harder and soon enough, her red Draíochta oozed out of her body and enveloped her. "Excellent! Now, this suit of Draíochta operates under your will. If you can imagine it and command it, it will obey." He noticed a small rock and scooped it up. "Use your Draíochta to strike this rock." He flung it at Ruby, who tensed up upon seeing it. This distracted her and allowed the rock to strike her face, making her fall over and dispel her Draíochta armor. Kyler rushed to her side and hoisted her back onto her feet. Ruby had a large bruise on the corner of her forehead. "Here, let me take care of that." He made his hand glow red and he pressed it against her forehead, healing her wound. Her skin returned to a normal caucasian color.

"Thank you, Mister Wolf," Ruby remarked.

"Want to try again?" Kyler asked of her. Ruby nodded and focused on bringing her Draíochta out again. Kyler tossed another stone at her, but this time, a whip of red Draíochta burst from her red shell and slapped the stone away. Kyler smiled with pride while Ruby stared in disbelief at what happened. "Now, tell me what you thought of to do that."

"I thought about catching the stone so I wouldn't get hurt again," Ruby answered.

"Not bad. Your internal conflict reflects a desire for defense, not offense, but you still need to exercise more control, given that you wanted to catch it." Kyler scooped the stone up and noticed a long cut in it. "And you damaged the stone as well." Kyler dropped the stone and drew his sword. "Now focus on blocking my strikes."

He dashed forward to catch Ruby by surprise, where she conjured a few whips to emerge from her body in self-defense. Kyler struck at one, which disappeared into red smoke, then he aimed for Ruby, where she sacrificed another whip to his sword. "You have to focus on making more whips!" he warned her, making Ruby panic and summon more whips. Kyler struck at Ruby, who made her whips take the hits as she focused on summoning more and staying up to speed. Eventually, she tired out, allowing Kyler to strike her side, but he hit her with the flat side of his blade, dispelling her Draíochta completely. "I am impressed you held up so well, but you've got a long ways to go, and this is only the start of what you can do with your Draíochta," he notified her.

"I'm wondering, can Jaune and the others do something like I did there?" Ruby asked. Lately, Ruby has been wondering what her friends have been up to, especially Jaune.

"They can, but their Draíochta takes on different forms. Jaune's, for example, takes the form of a suit of armor and is all about defense, whereas yours is a shapeshifting offensive form." Ruby sat upon the ground so she could rest, but Kyler could easily tell that she was exhausted. "C'mon, how about we head back?" Receiving a nod in response, he hoisted the girl onto his shoulders and carried her back to the cabin. "Just like old times," he reminded her. Ruby smiled and enjoyed the ride upon the old wolf's shoulders.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby watched as Oum himself took Crescent Rose into his own hands while Kyler watched from beside her. "This weapon has served you quite well in the battles of the past," the Lord remarked as he admired its intricate design. "However, I regret to inform you that Crescent Rose will not be able to serve you to its fullest potential in the battles to come, my Laghsling."

"Wait! Don't do anything to Crescent Rose!" Ruby argued, not wanting the weapon she considered like her baby to be tampered with.

Oum chuckled. "Do not worry, Ruby, I won't do any harm unto Crescent Rose." A bright light enveloped Crescent Rose and the deployed scythe floated in between Oum's hands. Ruby and Kyler watched as the weapon suddenly dissembled into many pieces, including the blade, the rifle scope and magazine cartridge, and every nut, bolt, and screw. Oum made the scythe blade disintegrate into dust and instead materialized a lump of bright steel from nowhere, which manifested into a curved blade. He then procured a long black chain from under his coat and released it into the air with the bits and pieces. Finally, the pieces all hovered together and reassembled back into it's original scythe shape, but now the entire weapon appeared more refined than ever before. The weapon floated down to Ruby and she took hold of it, noticing that it appeared more lightweight to her. Not only that, she discovered a new button located beside the trigger. "Crescent Rose has become a weapon fit for a Paladin. I give you my blessing for the battles to come, Ruby Rose." And with that, the Lord Oum disappeared.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby stood amongst a circle of large Celestial Beowolves, all of them Stage 5s and towering over her. They encircled her as to keep her from escaping their circle, their claws up and drawn for the attack. One lunged at her from her side, but Ruby swung Crescent Rose at it, striking it and knocking it backwards. Another from the front came, but Ruby ducked under its claw swipe and spun into the air to get behind Crescent Rose, uppercutting the Beowolf with her boot. She replied with a swing of her scythe, sending it falling. Before she even landed, two Beowolves from behind leapt at her unprotected back. Ruby sensed this and channeled her Draíochta into her back, and when the Beowolves struck her, they were forced back by a blast of red Draíochta, where Ruby then spun around and slashed their bellies, making them fall over with howls. The last three clustered together to form a wide range of attack. Ruby grinned and pressed the button near her trigger, which disengaged the scythe's head from the shaft. She spun around with a swing, making the head of Crescent Rose fly at the Beowolves while attached to a black chain hidden within the shaft. Ruby spun the blade around into a figure eight and cut down the three Beowolves with ease.

"Excellent work!" Kyler complimented as he emerged into the fold, viewing the fallen Celestial Beowolves climb onto their feet. "I was impressed to see you use your Draíochta as a shield for your back. Soon, you'll start using your Draíochta more and more in battle until it becomes mere instinct."

"Thank you, Mister Wolf!" Ruby chirped, holding Crescent Rose close to her body. Kyler smirked and reached for his sword, and in a flash, he was upon her with the blade drawn; Ruby barely had time to block his strike with the shaft of her weapon. Given the pressure he was putting on her, she could tell he was holding back. Just a little bit.

"Now let's see how you handle against me." Kyler withdrew and spun about, striking at Ruby's side, which she blocked with the shaft again. This time, she withdrew to jump backwards, firing a couple shots at him; she did not hold back knowing that he would protect himself. Kyler, as she thought, held up a hand, absorbing the bullets with Draíochta, then dashed at her, dodging side to side, then came at her again. Ruby was ready this time, striking at his blade with her own several times before they clashed again. Ruby manifested her Draíochta around her and had a huge open palm emerge from her back, ready to flatten Kyler until he broke the clash and leapt backwards, avoiding the slap entirely. Ruby readied her scythe's whip and swung at Kyler, striking the ground with her blade and reeling it backwards for another strike, which is when he ran at her again. She thrusted her whip forward, sending the blade flying at Kyler, who deflected the scythe head with his sword, sending it into the ground and exposing Ruby. She abandoned her scythe and manifested her Draíochta again. She conjured half a dozen whips and flung them at Kyler, who dodged them and struck at one, making it disappear, and neared Ruby. Ruby formed a full body shield at her front just as Kyler drew near, but he suddenly leapt over her with a graceful spin and landed behind her, where he yanked her to the ground and pointed his sword at her chest. "Yield," he ordered. Ruby nodded and dispelled her Draíochta, allowing Kyler to release. "Not bad, but still a long ways to go." Kyler dispelled the blade and clipped the hilt to his hip.

Ruby sat upon the ground and mulled over the battle. She realized that Kyler was pulling the fight more than she thought. He was not even using his Draíochta and he still beat her.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"How long have we been here, Ruby?" Kyler asked one day in their cabin.

"Um, I think it's been…maybe a year and a half now," Ruby remarked as she petted Zwei in her lap. Ruby has never noticed that Zwei has not aged a day since Qrow brought him to Vytal. "I must admit, I'm worried about my friends."

"I promise you, they're alright. From what I hear from the other Paladins and your Uncle Qrow, your friends are progressing incredibly in their Paladin training, and the invasion to retake Vale has been a success," Kyler explained.

"A success? What about the Grimm Dragon?"

"According to Qrow's report, Glynda ordered some mercenaries to drop Amity Coliseum onto Beacon and destroyed the Dragon and the Grimm that congregated near it. After that, clearing out Vale of the Grimm became easier, thanks to the combined efforts of the Huntsmen and the Atlesian Military. I've also learned that Atlas is working on restoring the CCT back to perfect condition, and soon, Remnant will be connected again."

"That's good to hear," Ruby smiled. "I guess things are starting to get better now, huh?"

"I suppose so, but don't let that blind you. Things may be getting better now, but they won't stay like that forever." Ruby's smile faded and she drooped a little. "Hey, don't let it bother you like that. Remember, it's always darkest before dawn, and you and your friends will be that oncoming dawn, no matter how long it takes."

"What about Yang? How has she been?"

"I took a visit to your house a week ago to check on her and Taiyang, and it seems Yang has left home roughly a few months ago."

Ruby bolted forward in her chair, making Zwei leap onto the floor. "A few months ago?! Where has she gone?!"

Kyler hushed her down, where she leaned back into her seat. "Easy, little one. Taiyang doesn't know where she went to, but he knows she left with your friend, Blake Belladonna, as well as a strange, multicolored girl who happened upon the premise. From what he told me, Yang and the girl became close before Blake appeared."

"Blake came back…" Ruby shifted in her seat silently. "Do you…?"

"No, I do not know where Blake has been during the first year nor why she returned now of all times."

"And who's this multicolored girl?"

Kyler was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, I don't know who this girl is." Ruby let out a sigh. _Why would the Cuthachsling go to the Xiao Long household and befriend the Cothrosling? Could Sheena have some part in this? Damn._

"What about the rest of my friends? What about Weiss? I heard she was taken home to Atlas," Ruby asked, snapping Kyler from his mental trance.

"Weiss is currently the head of the Schnee Dust Company and so far, the company is doing fantastic, as she has outlawed the Faunus labor forces her father used, she's employed Dust manufacturers her father ran out of business in the past, and she's working in tangent with the Atlesian Military to provide advances in their technology."

"Wow!" Ruby was stunned by what she heard.

"As for your other friends, Glynda has informed me they've all taken different paths after Vale. Some have gone to the other academies to finish their training, some have gone home to pursue jobs or start families, and a few have taken different paths."

"Everyone else is doing so much, and here I am, stuck on Vytal learning how to use magic and Draíochta…" Ruby mumbled. Kyler pulled her into a hug.

"You may not be doing much now, but when the time comes, you'll be among the ones who will change this world, that I promise. I think you've done an incredible amounts of feats already." Ruby embraced his hug and Kyler swayed her in his arms.

"Thank you, Mister Wolf," Ruby whispered to him. The two departed for bed for the rest of the night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Ruby sat before Kyler in front of the cabin with her Silver Eyes activated. "You have improved tremendously since you first came here, Ruby, but you still have a long ways to go before you are ready to emerge as the next Laghsling," he told her.

"What else is there to do? I have control over my eyes and Draíochta, and I've learned so much in combat thanks to you," Ruby retorted.

"I know, and I am proud of how far you've come in the near three years since we've come here, but to become a proper Laghsling, you must master the eyes and Draíochta completely, and you must become unparalleled in combat. Your mother was much the same, wanting to jump into the fray before she had finished her training." Kyler looked away for a moment, where he inhaled a deep breath. "I…I don't want you to do the same and…lose your life like she did…"

Ruby was curious. "Mom never finished her training?"

"No, she didn't, but that was my fault. I ended her training early to go tend to a report Ozpin sent me on regarding the possible appearance of a Wytch, and your mother went home to Patch. When I finally returned, I learned she died while at Mountain Glenn, as I'm sure you know."

"Yeah, dad told me it a couple times. He said that she was assisting the civilians in the underground city when a large amount of Grimm flooded the tunnels, forcing an evacuation through the roofs above, where everyone had to climb out onto the surface. From what was reported, mom died when the cable she was climbed snapped and she fell down into Mountain Glenn and the Grimm that infested it…" Ruby recalled so vividly in her mind. A few tears came to her eyes, which returned to their normal appearance. "Mister Wolf, I want to protect this world and its people, I really do, so if I must stay here longer to finish my training, then I shall."

Kyler smiled at the little Rose and gave her a hug. "Well, I suppose we best get right to it then, shall we?" They broke away, where Kyler shifted into his wolf form and took off into the woods with Ruby following behind him, ready for another training session to become stronger and surpass her mother and their predecessor.

 **Next Chapter: The Council of the Dark Paladins**


	7. Council of the Dark Paladins

**A/N:** This chapter was short, much shorter than previous ones, for sure, but it was never meant to be a long chapter and just be an insight into what the villains will be doing in the near future for build up.

 **Chapter 7: Council of the Dark Paladins**

 **Sheena's Castle**

The goddess Sheena sat at the head of the long table in her meeting room. On her right, Salem sat upon one of the chairs. "The others should be arriving in due time," Sheena commented to her Wytch, who stayed silent. Within a few minutes, Cinder appeared in a shroud of black Draíochta and took a seat. The cut on her face has worsened in the three months that has passed since the Battle of Beacon and has now grown into a deep scar. Cinder herself was upset that her beauty has been marred by Jaune. "Cinder, welcome back," remarked Sheena. Cinder refused to say anything, but she nodded towards her goddess. After a while, Adam and Jaakuna both arrived, Adam in a flash of red Draíochta and Jaakuna in black. They both took seats and remained silent. An hour later, and Neo appeared in a light containing neapolitan colors and she took her seat without a word and with a smile. An hour passes, and another flash of light emerges, this time being a tall man in a white cloak, one that obscured his face.

"Ah, welcome, Bhrathsling," Sheena remarked. The Bhrathsling kept his head low, wanting to avoid Cinder's gaze, who gave him a deathly glare. "Now, the Paladins of Light have scattered across the world to begin their training with their predecessors, which means the world will be vacant, save for the Guardians."

"We should strike at the remaining three kingdoms and decimate them," Adam suggested.

"No, we cannot. If we destroy the four kingdoms now before the Paladins return, they will only unite them together and restore their courage. I want them destroyed while all of the world looks upon them knowing they failed," Sheena dictated. Everyone fell silent for a while.

"What must we do?" Cinder hissed coldly.

"Cinder, with Jaune Arc gone from the world and most of the Arcs dead, thanks to you, Blanche Arc and Gris Arc will be going out into the world to gather up the remnants of the knights of the Holy Spear. I want you to take those children of yours, find these descendants, and murder them. The Holy Spear must not be reformed."

Cinder nodded. "Had someone notify me that Jaune Arc was the Dànsling and not Pyrrha Nikos, we would not be in this situation." She growled towards the Bhrathsling with another deathly glare.

The Bhrathsling fished a flask from his pocket and took a swig. "Had I revealed Jaune Arc's true identity to you then, Ozpin and Kyler would have suspected me. I do not feel like dying until I see Ozpin pay for what he did," he answered.

"And you will, that I shall promise," Sheena told him. "Ozpin will pay for what he did to your wife." The Bhrathsling fell silent, content in knowing he will get what he wants.

"What should Jaakuna and I do until then?" Adam asked of his goddess.

"Weiss Schnee has returned to her family in Atlas. Jaakuna, I want you and a group of the White Fang to go to Atlas and eliminate the Schnee family. This shall cause unrest in Atlas and create a Dust crisis the world over with the family wiped out. Adam Taurus, I have learned that your former partner, Blake Belladonna, is now in the coastline cities south of Vale, where she has organized a group of Faunus to combat the White Fang. Do what you want with her." This pleased Adam greatly.

"And what about Neo?" Salem inquired. The mute girl sat idly in her chair.

"Neo, the Cothrosling has not left Remnant. She is at her home on the island of Patch. Kill her," Sheena ordered. Neo gave a smiling nod. Sheena then turned to Cinder. "Cinder, did Jaune Arc do that to your hand?"

Cinder raised her black hand; wisps of black Draíochta danced along the edges of the hand's shape. "No, this was the work of two Guardians that possessed weapons from the Gods."

"Impossible! How could two mortals have such weapons!?" Salem protested.

Sheena hushed Salem down. "Are you positive that they had such weapons, Cinder?"

Cinder nodded. "I do. One of them had Pecado Moonlight's shotgun and another had Grace Evergreen's shotos. She also somehow transferred the ability to form her Aura into arrows for it as well; it was those very arrows that took off my hand."

"Interesting…I shall find a means to rid us of these troublesome Guardians at a later time."

"And what shall I do?" asked the Bhrathsling.

"I want you to return to the Vale Encampment and aid Glynda Goodwitch and the Huntsmen in reclaiming Vale," Sheena ordered.

"You want Vale to return to its prior state?" Adam questioned.

"We have accomplished our goal in Vale; we captured Ozpin, we have severed communications between the four Kingdoms and created unrest between them and Atlas thanks to Cinder's little spy. Not only that, we have caused a rift in the Paladins' plans and now they are separated. You are dismissed."

Everyone departed back to the Light Realm, all except for Salem and the Bhrathsling. "I wish to see Ozpin," he asked of his goddess while pulling his white cloak tighter around him.

"You wish to have him know you are a traitor, do you not?" Sheena smiled. A nod from the Bhrathsling. "Very well. I shall have someone escort you to him." Sheena snapped her fingers and a humanoid Grimm in a black cloak appeared into the room and escorted the Bhrathsling out.

Down in the dungeons, the Grimm lead the Bhrathsling to a lonely cell that held Ozpin inside. "Hello, Ozpin," said the Bhrathsling. Ozpin recognized the voice upon his old friend. "I imagine you're surprised to see me here."

"How…How…" Ozpin stuttered, horrified to see his old friend here. "…You're allied with Sheena, aren't you?" The Bhrathsling nodded. "Why…?"

"You know exactly why, Oz. You betrayed my trust and our friendship, and you know what you did to my wife," he hissed.

"I swear…I…" Ozpin started.

"It's too late, Oz, and you're going to pay for your past sins." The Bhrathsling got up and left, leaving Ozpin alone in his cell.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Inside her own chambers, the Grimm-possessed Summer Rose sat in a comfy chair reading a book. Her body was an ash grey with jagged veins dotting her arms, legs, and face. Her eyes were narrow and silver. Upon half her face, a Grimm-like mask was growing upon her, clutching at her skin. Sheena entered without permission, where Summer fell to the floor in a bow for her goddess. "Rise up, my general." Summer obeyed. "You will be pleased to know that the daughter of your former self is taking your place as the Laghsling." Summer was silent. "When the time comes, I want you to confront her, but do not kill her, instead capture her and bring her to me, understand?"

"Yes, my goddess," Summer smiled, baring her short fangs.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Sheena later met the Grimm-possessed Pyrrha in her chambers, the latter whom was naked in a bath tub filled with blood. When she entered, Pyrrha exited the bath tub, revealing her new body to her mistress. Her body was similar to Summer's, with the exception that her eyes were glowing and green, a pair of small horns protruded from atop her head, her fingers ended with sharp fingernails, and the Grimm mask upon her face clung to her right side, covering everything but her eye and mouth. "You look beautiful," Sheena complimented, finding the new Pyrrha absolutely satisfactory.

"Thank you, my goddess," Pyrrha answered as she bowed, still naked.

Sheena glared Pyrrha's body up and down as she circled her while Pyrrha stood in place. Upon reaching her backside, Sheena ran her hands around Pyrrha's hips and around her front. "Even with your humanity gone, you are as beautiful as you were when you were Pyrrha Nikos," Sheena professed into Pyrrha's ear. "I want you to use that beauty against Jaune Arc when he returns as a Paladin. I want him to hesitate upon seeing you. I want you to use your body and the love he holds for you against him and lure him to me. I will tempt him and he shall become one of us."

"Anything for you, my goddess," Pyrrha answered. Sheena let slip a grin and took her leave.

"I have one Paladin in my prison, and I have the loved ones of the Laghsling and Dànsling following my orders…everyone is working perfectly…" Sheena said to herself, content to how things have progressed. "Ready yourselves all you want, Paladins, but I am already ready for you, and I shall win."

 **Next Chapter: The Hero That Will Rise Above**


	8. The Hero That Will Rise Above

**Chapter 8: The Hero That Will Rise Above**

 _The Dànsling was different among the Paladins, in that while his allies had to only to master the power of their Draíochta and weaponry, the Dànsling had to prove himself worthy of being Aziela's chosen champion, even despite being destined for the role since birth. The sword of the Dànsling was forged Above with steel smelted from the sun Soleila itself." Aziela needed a champion who was pure of heart and soul, so for each new Dànsling that appeared, he had to complete five trials to prove himself; four to test his abilities and one final trial to purify the evil in his soul. Only then, could he truly take the name of Dànsling, but if he succeeds, he would become the Paladin that all evil fears most._

 _––The Tale of the Dànsling_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune laid half-asleep on the sandy beach with Spring hovering over him, watching him. His eyes soon pried open and he gave a little shriek, springing to his feet. "Wakey, wakey!" Spring giggled. She grabbed his hand and lead him down the beach, where they came upon a large single-story house that laid between the tropical forest and the shore. Standing up upon the front porch were Summer, Autumn, and Winter, all watching the two come towards them. "Welcome to the Island of the Maidens, Dànsling!" she told him, spinning herself around with her arms out.

At that moment, a middle-aged man emerged from within the house. Jaune was met with who he mistook for himself, only perhaps forty years older than himself. The man smiled when he saw Jaune. "Hello, Jaune," he simply said. Jaune was speechless. For years, he saw this man's portrait growing up back at home, passing by it every day.

He was staring directly upon his great-great-grandfather, Jaundice Arc, the former King of Vale and the Dànsling of Aziela.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaundice escorted Jaune to the house's back porch that faced the Mistral Sea, where the two sat on a long and cushioned bench together while the Maidens went inside to make a meal for the two Arcs, celebrating the arrival of the next Dànsling. Jaune gave Jaundice a rundown of the recent events, especially of Pyrrha and Cinder. When he had finished, Jaundice hugged him tight.

"It seems you've been through a lot already in such a short time," Jaundice told his grandson, who silently nodded. The Maidens came out with trays of food for the two men and left them to eat.

"Grandpa, what will I do now that I'm here?" Jaune eventually asked while eating a sandwich.

"Depends. What are you here for? What do you want from me?"

"I want to become a Paladin," Jaune answered.

"That is your destiny, but I want to know what you yourself want."

Jaune was silent for a moment, thinking it over. He thought back to himself growing up, all the way back to when he was ten, how every boy was bigger and stronger than he was, how he failed to be accepted into Signal Academy, and how Blanche and his Uncle Gris taught him swordfighting with simple sticks and how they always beat him. He recalled how out of place he felt arriving at Beacon using his fake transcripts. Everyone was stronger than him while he was so weak and tiny, and he hated it. Everyone had better weapons than he did; weapons they themselves built or bought to their own preference and liking while he was stuck with a simple sword of the family's, a sword his king of a grandfather wielded to end the Great War so long ago. A sword that he only learned quite recently is a sword that all evil fear, a sword forged Above.

"I want to be strong. I want to be feared. I want to become powerful. I want to become a man that my enemies will fear, the man that Remnant will cheer and call 'hero'," Jaune declared. Jaundice smiled and ruffled Jaune's hair.

"That's the sort I wanted to hear," his grandfather told him. The two sat together finishing their sandwiches and watching the ocean.

"In time, you will have to complete a series of trials to prove yourself that will unlock the true power of Crocea Mors," Jaundice revealed after swallowing his last mouthful.

"Trials? Aziela told me the same thing before I left Patch. And what do you mean 'the true power of Crocea Mors'?"

"You know that your sword was once mine, as it was once our ancestor's, Etrius Arc, the first Arc." Jaundice leaned back into his chair. "Crocea Mors was forged in the heavens, made of a heavenly steel called 'Soleilia'."

"So, my sword has the sun within it?" Jaune was somewhat confused by this prospect.

"Yes, but only when its power is unlocked, which will happen once you prove yourself as Aziela's Dànsling and complete a series of trials."

"What can…"

"I cannot reveal the trials to you. You must complete them alongside the Maidens, one for each trial, followed by one final trial to unlock Crocea Mors' power."

"I understand. I'm curious, if the trials are to unlock the power of Crocea Mors, then how do I obtain all the magical powers the Dànsling can perform? I've seen Kyler Carnaid perform some magic in the past, but how would I do the same?"

"You will learn all of the magical powers the Dànsling can utilize, but I will still have to train you how to properly wield the powers and to master the full use of your Draíochta. I will also teach you the many combat techniques I used during my time of the Great War…" Jaundice reached into Jaune's pocket and took his scroll, which Jaune did not object to, him respecting his elders, as always. Jaundice switched it on and looked at a video Pyrrha made demonstrating one of her combat techniques. "…Although, perhaps you might be better suited to learning the same techniques Pyrrha Nikos utilized." Jaune nodded. The two chatted a little before retreating for the night.

Inside the house, Jaune's bedroom, albeit small, appeared comfortable and fit for someone like him, consisting of a well-made twin bed with extra blankets, a dresser (which he found some clothes in), a small bookshelf lined with books ("They're probably stuff about grandpa, combat, and the Gods," Jaune told himself), and a nightstand with a lamp. Jaune switched it on and was surprised to see it light. "It must be magic," he chuckled to himself, thinking of the age-old excuse to tell any young child on how things work.

Jaune dressed into a pair of pajamas from the dresser and laid his own clothes and armor atop it. He laid his Pumpkin Pete hoodie on top, running his hand over the embroidered bunny rabbit. "No matter what, Pumpkin Pete cereal will always be your greatest accomplishment to me," Jaune whispered under his breath. He laid Crocea Mors by his bed, climbed in, and drifted to sleep.

 _"Hello again, Jaune," said Pyrrha's voice. Jaune's eyes fluttered open and he found himself back on the porch with himself in Pyrrha's lap, who was stroking his hair. He gave her a smile, and she returned it. Jaune made no effort to move, for he was blissfully happy where he was. "Five trials, huh? Looks like you've got a lot to do to become a full-fledged Dànsling, don't you?"_

 _"You know?" Jaune asked, curious as to how Pyrrha would know._

 _Pyrrha gave him a sharp tap on the forehead. "Silly, you forget that I see everything you do now that my soul resides alongside yours."_

 _"That's true." They stayed together for a while. Jaune hummed every time Pyrrha ran her fingers through his hair or tapped at his skin. Eventually, Jaune sat up and leaned against Pyrrha, taking in her warm embrace and her kind smile. "I'm glad I'll still have you by my side through all of this. Thank you, Pyrrha."_

 _Pyrrha hugged him tight. "I promise I will help you fulfill your destiny," she told him, just as she did before._

 _"You've already done enough," he answered back, same as before, except…"But I will need you to do far more in the future." The two embraced in a passionate hug. Now they will fulfill Jaune's destiny together that their fates are intertwined more than ever before._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The next morning, Jaune was rushing through the forest with Spring clinging to his back. He dashed past trees, leapt over large, overgrown roots, climbed up trees, and swung across branches and vines. "You are doing well for a test of stamina," Spring complimented as Jaune somersaulted through the air and landed upon a thick branch.

"Thanks, but when am I supposed to start the first trial with you?" Jaune asked her as he skipped along a pathway of branches.

"We'll start it when it eventually finds us."

"'When it finds us?' What is that supposed to mean!?" he cried as he slipped upon a branch and nearly fell, only saved by a quick reflex to grab at the branch. He hoisted himself up, where Spring jumped from his shoulders and onto the branch with him.

"It looks like your reflexes are improving already," she complimented before she jumped down to a lower branch and climbed down the tree. Jaune let out a sigh and followed after her, but upon reaching the ground, Spring was nowhere to be found.

"Spring! SPRING!" Jaune called out, to no answer. "Damnit, where did she go?"

Suddenly, Spring's scream rang out through the forest. Drawing his sword, Jaune rushed towards the source, whipping past several branches before coming into a clearing. He spotted Spring on the ground, her arms up shielding herself from a large brown bear that was towering over her. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Jaune shouted, grabbing the bear's attention and allowing Spring to scramble away.

Jaune and the bear circled each other, both ready for the other. The bear leapt forward with a slash, which Jaune ducked under and rolled away. The bear came at him again, this time, Jaune countered with an uppercut, slashing across the bear's front, forcing it to recoil backwards. The bear let out a roar and charged at Jaune. The young man rolled forward as the bear neared, avoiding its claw swipe and ending up in between its legs and behind it. The bear was briefly confused by Jaune's disappearance, which turned into a howl of pain when Jaune dug his sword into its back. The bear keeled over onto the ground, where it laid in pain. Jaune stood over the beast with his sword in hand raised above it, ready to strike the beast down. At that moment, two small bear cubs came rushing out into the clearing and huddled near the bear; the beast's young. Jaune hesitated for a brief moment, to which no one moved, then he suddenly sheathed his blade. "I spare you this one time. Go," he orders the giant bear. The bear rose and silently wandered off into the forests with its cubs at its heels.

"Well done, you completed the Trial of Power!" Spring cheered, latching onto Jaune's back and making him stumble and fall over. "I must admit, I was afraid you were going to kill the bear."

"Wait, that was one of the trials? That's what you meant by 'the trial will find us?' What was this supposed to prove?" Jaune questioned.

"What is power, Jaune Arc?" Spring asked him, hoping off of him.

"Um…the ability to do something however you wanted?" Jaune answered.

"Basically. Now, tell me, what is true power?" Jaune gave her a blank stare. "True power is knowing when to use it and when not to. The ability to take a life or to spare it. You demonstrated true power by sparing that creature despite that it posed a threat to us both, and for that, you completed the Trial of Power." Spring suddenly sprang onto his back again and ordered him to return to the beach.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune sat alone in his bedroom trying to concentrate on his Draíochta, hoping to draw it out like he did at the Battle of Beacon. He envisioned the night when he faced against Cinder and focused on the emotions he felt that night: anger, guilt and insignificance. Anger from Cinder killing Pyrrha. Guilt because it was he who sent Pyrrha to her death at Beacon Tower. Insignificance for how he failed to succeed at the Battle of Beacon, despite being the Dànsling.

 _I killed you…it's my fault…_ Jaune thought to himself. _After that moment in front of the cafeteria, when we were in front of Beacon fighting for our lives, I just wanted to protect you…I didn't want to lose you…I sent you away, hoping it would keep you safe…I'm sorry…_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune stood in a small cave with an open ceiling which revealed the night sky above him with a pale moon. Before him were four goblets full of a colorless and odorless liquid sitting upon short tables. A stone tablet protruding from the ground had words scrawled upon it, which read:

" _One will grant you victory,_

 _Another will drag your soul Under,_

 _A third will destroy your mind,_

 _The last will leave you in agony,_

 _To claim victory, ignite my pale sister,_

 _She will illuminate the Huntress that shall be your guiding light."_

"Have you figured out what you must do?" the Maiden Winter asked of him while she stood nearby.

"All I know is that I gotta drink one of these things to win or I'll suffer some horrible fate," Jaune told her. "And I have no idea what this riddle means. By Under, it doesn't even rhyme!"

"Take your time," Winter reminded him before she sat down upon the ground to wait. Jaune paced both and forth between the goblets, wondering if he should take one at random. "This is not a guessing game," Winter warned him.

"One will grant me victory, drag my soul Under––I don't need to guess what _that_ means––another will drive me insane, and one will leave me in agony…Winter, what does the agony goblet do?"

"Try to imagine the worst case of diarrhea you've ever had and multiply it by a hundred," Winter simply answered, which made Jaune shiver with fright.

"I think being dragged down Under sounds better by comparison," he moaned.

"Take all the time you need to pass the Trial of Wisdom."

Jaune paced back and forth between the goblets a few more times before he went to the stone tablet bearing the riddle. "'Ignite my pale sister'…" he mumbled. He glanced over at Winter. _Could this involve her?_

"I am but a spectator to ensure you pass the trial, Jaune Arc," Winter confirmed, as if she could read his mind.

"'Ignite my pale sister'…" Jaune repeated. He pondered for a few minutes before he let out a groan, throwing his head to the sky in frustration. That was when he saw the pale sister: the moon. The full moon hung up in the sky, illuminating the stars around it. "'Ignite my pale sister'…" Jaune raised his hands to the sky with Draíochta powered up. He unleashed his energy onto the moon, where his Draíochta made the moon brighten up, illuminating the entire sky and all its stars. "The Huntress shall be my guiding light…" Jaune located the pattern of stars that formed the constellation of the Huntress; a woman with long hair bearing a bow, who was one of the first successful Huntresses shortly after the establishment of the Huntsmen and Huntress Academies following the Great War. Jaune threw some Draíochta into the sky, where the Huntress formed a complete outline from the stars. Jaune watched as the Huntress came alive, releasing the nocked arrow, which flew from the sky down into the open cavern, where it materialized as a Draíochta arrow that landed before the center left pedestal. "That's it!" Jaune exclaimed before grabbing the goblet and downing it, resulting in him coughing like mad.

"Well done, you passed the Trial of Wisdom," Winter complimented Jaune while he continued coughing. "Don't worry, the drink will wear off soon." She lead him back to the beach, where they turned in for the night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

For many days, Jaune trained without resting to the videos on his scroll. He soon mastered each technique Pyrrha highlighted in the videos. The first one was the ankle strike, a move where Jaune would dive and slide towards his opponent, where he would quickly strike at their knees to knock them down. Another was the helm splitter, a move where he would daze his opponent with a shield bash, then leap over them, striking at their head or shoulder line. There was one technique that served as a rouse, which Pyrrha designed especially for Jaune; he would keep his shield sheathed as a scabbard, which, while in the heat of battle, he would switch hands with his sword, where he would strike his foe with the scabbard and follow with a strike with his sword with their defenses open.

Jaundice approached Jaune one day after the young man had finished another round of training on the beach, which left Jaune exhausted on the sandy beach. Jaune had not only trained to Pyrrha's videos, but also tapped into his Draíochta, where he manifested his Aura Armor, as well as the Holy Blast, a move Jaundice taught him where he conjures Draíochta into his hand to create a powerful blast of Draíochta to strike foes, and now he was drained. "You have improved greatly, having completed two of trials so far, but you need to learn more combat techniques as well. The few techniques Pyrrha left you will not be enough."

"I know that, Grandpa, but I need to learn techniques of today's age, not the ones you knew back during the Great War," Jaune remarked as he sat up from the sand. "I need someone who can teach me."

Jaundice stared at Jaune for a moment. "Who do you believe would be a better teacher in combat than I?" he merely asked.

Jaune let out a whiff of air as he pondered. He glanced at his scroll, which showed a video of Pyrrha. "Pandora Nikos, Pyrrha's mother. Pyrrha said that her mother taught her all she knew, so she would be perfect to teach me."

"Pandora…If I recall, she was a Guardian years ago. I suppose she would be suitable for such a task…Very well, you may go to Mistral to see her when you are ready to do so, but I want the Maidens to accompany you." Jaune agreed and went back to training.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

For nearly a month, Jaune struggled to complete the Trial of Courage with Autumn, but he failed each time. Autumn insisted that the trial was grueling for him, especially after everything he has endured, but Jaune refused to give up. On the last day of the month, he and Autumn went to the location where the Trial of Courage was to take place, which was in a small clearing deep within the forest. The clearing was devoid of any life; no trees, no wildlife, no plants, and nothing alive except them dared come near it, for in the center of the clearing was a round hole leading into darkness.

"You already know what you must do to initiate the Trial of Courage," Autumn told Jaune while he stood atop the entrance. "You already know what you will encounter down there…"

"That I do," Jaune answered as he peered down.

Autumn took a deep sigh. "Good luck, Jaune…" Jaune gave her a nod and jumped inside.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Darkness surrounded Jaune as he fell for what felt like ages. His body soon felt weightless and he gently fell upon soft ground, yet darkness still surrounded him. His hand went to his sword, but he did not draw it, instead preparing himself for what was to come.

Finally, she appeared. It started as a small ember in the palm of her hand, but the fire grew, illuminating all of her amidst the darkness. Cinder Fall stood before him with a playful smile. "Hello, Jaune," she purred. Jaune drew his sword and readied himself. Cinder tossed the ball of fire towards him, but it instead whizzed past him and struck someone behind him, creating a high scream. Jaune spun around and saw Pyrrha before him, enshrouded in flames.

"PYRRHA!" He screamed, racing for her. She called out for him, reaching out for him, but when he reached her, she evaporated into ashes, disappearing into the darkness around him.

"You are pathetic. You could not save her, nor could you stop me from killing your family," Cinder taunted. At once, Jaune's parents and his four sisters materialized from nowhere in a circle formation around him and Cinder. They looked upon him with worried looks.

"Jaune…save us…" Foncé begged him. Cinder conjured fire under all the family members.

"Try to save them, Paladin," she hissed. Jaune ran for his father first, but when he reached him, the fire under him instantly consumed him, resulting in his father screaming before it cut off. Jaune wasted no time and dashed for his mother. She too went up in flames. Before he could run for his sisters, they exploded as well, leaving him surrounded by six pillars of fire.

Cinder stepped towards him, and Jaune offered no resistance, having fallen to the ground. "You are pathetic," Cinder told him. "I cannot believe that Aziela chose such a weakling to be her champion. A boy who cannot protect his family, his friends, or his little girlfriend from a fate worse than death." _She always tells me this. What is she talking about? A fate worse than death? Does she know about Pyrrha inside my mind?_ Cinder readied a ball of fire in her hand. Jaune meekly raised his sword to defend himself. Cinder fired onto the blade, and it shattered into pieces, making Jaune fall onto all fours. She let out a victorious laugh and incinerated Jaune instantly, who became enshrouded in fire. His vision went dark, and he knew no more.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune awoke on the surface with Autumn hovering over him. He clenched his fist tight and rolled over to avoid looking at the Maiden, who knew he had failed. Autumn moved close to him, and while Jaune tried shrugging her off, she eventually tightened herself around him in a hug. "I can't do it…" Jaune whimpered.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Back at the beach, Jaune and the Four Maidens have gathered together near a small sailboat, which appeared from nowhere. "This ship shall take us to Mistral within a day, where you can visit Pandora Nikos."

Jaune himself had only the clothes he arrived in, his weapon, Pyrrha's circlet tied to his belt, and pack of food and water from Jaundice for the journey. "Sounds perfect. Shall we leave now?" They all boarded the ship, where it set sail on his own with no one at the helm. "Must be magic," Jaune chuckled to himself he stood on deck.

They sailed on in complete silence, of which Jaune spent the four hour journey wondering what he should say to Pandora Nikos. The Battle of Beacon was a little over a year ago, and the reclaiming of Vale ended eight months after with the establishment of a temporary CCT signal tower, restoring communication across the kingdoms, albeit a weak and strained signal. Within the months that followed, a new CCT building was built over the remains of Beacon, which restored communications completely. Jaune noticed this when his scroll came back online months ago.

It was late afternoon when their sailboat reached the port town of Himawari that laid north of Mistral. Before leaving the ship, the Maidens placed their hands upon Jaune's body, making him glow a bright white before the color faded. "We applied a cloaking film over your Draíochta, making it so you cannot be detected by Draíochta users," Autumn told him. They paid the captain that oversaw the port some money to watch over their ship, then the five headed to a nearby airship yard, where a few small airships were docked. Summer exchanged a few words with one of the men running the air yard and they found themselves aboard a ship heading straight for Mistral.

"Destination: Mistral. ETA: 1 hour," said the pilot's voice over the PA system. Jaune marveled upon Mistral in the distance: a gleaming city composed of tall, ancient buildings scattered amongst each other atop a gloriously high mountain, a safety measure against most Grimm and enemies.

 _This is Pyrrha's home. This is where Pandora currently lives,_ Jaune thought to himself as the airship soared through the sky, where it eventually found an airship yard and docked itself automatically. The five disembarked and headed into the heart of the city, following the map system on Jaune's scroll, which was leading them to the Nikos house. The Maidens stayed close to Jaune, their eyes watchful for any sign of danger.

They ventured into the packed suburbs of the city, and they soon came upon the Nikos house, a simple two-story home with a decent yard, a stone walkway, and a mailbox reading "Nikos." "This is yours to confront alone, Jaune Arc," Winter told him while her and her sisters stayed by the mailbox while Jaune went on forward. He hesitated about knocking, but he soon did. Three hard, long knocks. There was a loud noise inside, some footsteps echoing towards the front door (which made Jaune tense up), the changing of locks, and finally, the opening of the door.

The door opened and Pandora stood before him. She gave a little gasp, surprised to see him, and Jaune suddenly lost his voice. "Jaune…shouldn't you be with your grandfather?" she asked him. Jaune could not answer. "Why are you here?" No answer. Jaune could not think of any answer to give her despite how much time he has thought this over. He went to his belt and handed Pandora the circlet, but she refused to take it. She invited him and the Maidens inside.

The six of them went to the sitting room. Pandora sat down in an easy recliner, Jaune took the center of a sofa across from her, and the Maidens all went about their own thing; Winter calmly stood by the window, looking out. Spring went to a nearby set of picture frames and marveled upon them. Autumn sat quietly by Jaune. Summer sat on the floor away from the rest, not wanting to interfere with Jaune and Pandora.

Jaune took note of Pandora's state, which was unlike how she was when he first met her at Beacon. What was once a proud and powerful Huntress was now a unkempt mess of a woman with disheveled, knotted hair that has not been washed in days, baggy eyes as if she has not slept well, and on a nearby end table was a half-full bottle of Mistral whiskey. Jaune could easily tell Pandora has not been well since Pyrrha died.

"Why are you here?" Pandora asked again, now slouched backwards in her recliner.

"I…I came to see you…I need your help, Pandora…" Jaune stuttered out. "…I cannot finish my training on my own, and I need a teacher to help me learn proper combat techniques." He took a deep breath upon finishing.

Pandora gave him a blank stare for a moment, then she dove for the whiskey bottle, taking a deep gulp from it. "Sorry to tell you this, kid, but I'm retired now. Have been since I came back from the Vale Reclamation. Besides, why not have your grandfather teach you in combat?"

"Pandora, please! I've already improved since the Battle of Beacon! I've gained some control over my Draíochta, but I need someone to teach me combat techniques of this age, not my grandfather's! I know you were once a Guardian, so you would be perfect for this!"

Another gulp of whiskey. "Yeah, I was a Guardian, and I used to follow Aziela's teachings, but that was before Pyrrha died…I lost faith in the Gods after that…"

 _To grow up following the Gods' words, to be anointed Guardian, to have your own daughter be destined as a Guardian to a Paladin and then die…I can see why Pandora would lose her faith…_ Jaune thought to himself. "I know how you feel. I lost my family to Cinder Fall just as we both lost Pyrrha to her, and while I only knew of the Gods' existence since the day before the Battle of Beacon, I haven't lost faith in Aziela."

"You are young and naive," Pandora huffed. "You can say that because you were born a Paladin with magic, but Pyrrha and I were not. You got to enjoy a peaceful life until Beacon while I had to train Pyrrha without end to ensure she was ready for her role as a Guardian! She died while you lived! WHY DIDN'T YOU DIE INSTEAD, YOU PATHETIC WASTE!" Jaune was hurt by her words, but he had no words to counterattack. Pandora was right; he, who grew up without having any training and cheated his way to Beacon, lived while Pyrrha, who trained all her life to be a warrior, died, and she died because of his orders. "I don't care whether you live or die, Jaune Arc…I hate you…" Pandora rose with a groan and headed up the stairs with her whiskey in hand. "…See yourself out…" she spat as she stumbled upstairs.

Jaune silently watched her go and disappear into her bedroom, but he refused to leave. Both he and the Maidens ascended the stairs to find proper bedrooms for themselves; the Maidens found the guest room, where they chose to stay, but for Jaune, he instead found Pyrrha's bedroom.

Her room was decorated in simple red wallpaper and contained a small bed, a desk, a dresser, and a closet. Various trinkets littered her desk along with her scroll laptop, and there were trinkets, medals, and picture frames atop the dresser. Jaune, feeling tired, went straight for the bed; he did not notice the dusty Akouo and Milo––the latter still shattered to pieces––sitting at the front of the bed. Shrugging off his sword and sneakers, he buried himself under the covers and went to sleep.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 _"I know you blame yourself for what happened to me, and I want to remind you that you had no idea what would happen at Beacon Tower. Neither of us knew, and even so, had I not lie to Cinder that I was the Dànsling, she would have killed me and then sought you out," Pyrrha told him in yet another dream._

 _Jaune sat next to her on the front porch of the Nikos household with his hand in hers. "I keep telling myself that, but each time I do, I keep being reminded that it was ultimately my fault that you died, and now your mother hates me."_

 _"She is upset, no doubt, but I don't believe she truly hates you for what happened." Her hand squeezed his. "She has had to suffer the pain of my death for over a year just as you had to, but she did not have me inside her for comfort."_

 _"…Even if she refuses to come and help me, I want to help her recover from this…I can't just leave her to drown herself in whiskey until it kills her."_

 _Pyrrha came in for a hug. "Mom is wrong about you…you may have enjoyed an easy life without knowing of your destiny, but you're already a fine Paladin, and you can prove it to her. Tell her that I would want her to train you as I did." She cupped her hand on his cheek and had him stare at her. "No matter what happens, whatever bad things may happen, you are always a hero in my eyes, whether you lived a life like mine or the easy life you had."_

 _Jaune took her hands in his and gave her a warm smile. "You always believed in me, as always."_

 _"And I shall always believe in you until the end."_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

After strapping his sword to his hip, Jaune took a moment to pour over the picture frames on the dresser. One frame showed a baby Pyrrha being held by her happy mother and father, the latter of whom divorced Pandora a few years later, which Pyrrha told him once. Another picture showed a young, smiling Pyrrha holding her first championship medal. Her teeth were lined with braces. Another showed Pyrrha and Pandora when she graduated from Sanctum, top of her class.

The last picture caught Jaune's full attention. He took it into his hands, perplexed by it. It showed a young Pyrrha, possibly ten years old. In the background was the village of Shion, a popular vacation spot that Jaune's family visited a few times before (as shown by the family album back home, despite that Jaune himself had little recollection), but directly beside Pyrrha was Jaune, roughly the same age. Both children were smiling at the camera.

 _H-How can this be? Pyrrha and I…knew each other before Beacon?_ Jaune wondered, searching for a possible explanation.

"So I guess Pyrrha was right…you never recovered your memories from that time," said Pandora's voice behind him. Once again, she looked like a complete mess, minus the bottle in hand. "Back when you two were assigned into Team JNPR, she would message home about how she found you again, but she was always disappointed that you never recognized her."

"Pandora, what is this?" Jaune wanted…he _needed_ to know. "What are you talking about?"

Pandora rubbed the side of her head in pain, but she sat down upon the bed and patted the side, asking for Jaune to sit with her. He did, and she held his hand. "Have you ever wondered why is it that you and Pyrrha only just met at Beacon, only to be torn apart a few months later? Wouldn't Aziela want her Paladin and his Guardian, with their intertwined fates, to be together at sooner points in time? Wouldn't she want them to both be ready for their destinies early in life? Why didn't Aziela bring you two together sooner in life?

"Because she already did," Pandora continued without waiting for an answer. "She did it when you two were ten years old. It was no coincidence that the two of us would happen to take a vacation to Shion at the same time the Arc family did. Before we met, I wondered who the next Dànsling was supposed to be. I can still remember how you and Pyrrha exactly met; you both were running for the same snack kiosk near the Misty Waterfall, as it was called. You both wanted a snow cone, but the kiosk had only enough ice left for one more. You reached the kiosk before Pyrrha did, but I remember how you brightened up upon seeing you; you didn't hesitate to give the snow cone to her. After that, you two started playing together, going so far as to leave your vacation homes early in the morning to see each other. Your sister Blanche and I thought it was perfect, with both of you growing close for nearly two weeks without knowing of your destinies.

"And then everything fell apart one day. As Pyrrha told me, you two were playing together and you took a bad tumble and hit your head. You fell unconscious, and the doctor that examined you concluded you suffered head trauma. When you awoke, you could not remember anything of the last few weeks, not even Pyrrha. Your mother flew into hysterics when this happened; threatened to sue me for endangering your life and demanded that Pyrrha or I never come near you again. Of course, Blanche tried to reason with your mother, but from what she told me later over the phone, she was dead-set on protecting you and keeping you safe."

"So that's why mom was always so overprotective of me…" Jaune let out a long sigh, still trying to comprehend all of this.

"Your family took you back home to Vale after the incident…Pyrrha missed you a lot since…she blamed herself for what happened, and yet she never forgot you…When you two reunited at Beacon, she was so excited, yet disappointed that you did not remember her."

"I did recognize her from Pumpkin Pete's cereal though," Jaune chuckled, which Pandora returned with her own.

"Yes, she was quite amused by that…" Pandora went silent for a moment, aside from a couple shivers she made. Jaune noticed tears in her eyes. "…Even though you didn't remember her, she wanted to be with you again. She told me about how you were so inexperienced when she saw you and sought to help you…just like a true Guardian…she loved you, you know…"

"I know…I loved her too…I still love her…" Jaune admitted.

Pandora looked upon him, tears welling up now. "How long have you two…?"

"I learned she loved me since the Vytal Festival dance at Beacon…we didn't come forward with our feelings until the day before the Battle of Beacon…" Tears now ran down Pandora's cheeks, to which Jaune pulled her into his arms, surprising her.

Pandora sniffled and sobbed onto his shoulder. "After the incident, I knew I had to prepare Pyrrha for her role as a Guardian. I pushed her…I kept pushing her, day and night…whenever she didn't want to train, I yelled at her and forced her to continue training, all just to prepare her…I pushed her to become a warrior, taught her everything I knew, and instilled in her the duty of a Huntress…all to lead her to her death…"

 _Pyrrha…was abused…?_ Jaune wondered. His hands on Pandora loosened up, but then he suddenly squeezed her closer to him. "It…it wasn't your fault…you did what you thought was right." He pulled her away to look at her, where he gave her a smile. "Had you not prepare Pyrrha, she may not have been able to train me at Beacon. I…probably wouldn't be here without her training and her love." _Maybe Pyrrha's abuse ended up being good for me…maybe… "_

 _He's…forgiving me…?_ Jaune pulled out a red handkerchief––the very same one Pyrrha gave to him so long ago––and dabbed at Pandora's eyes. _I gave that to Pyrrha before she left for Beacon…_

"I don't care whether you hate me or not, but I still need your help training me. Pyrrha wants the same…" Pandora gave him a puzzled stare. "Pyrrha is…still alive…" Pandora drew a gasp.

"She's…alive!? Where is she!?" Pandora cried, grabbing hold of his hoodie. "WHERE IS PYRRHA!?"

Jaune had Pandora release him. He then placed his hands upon her cheek and her heart, and with simple effort, he had his Draíochta radiate through his body and to hers, making them both glow white and red. Pandora felt his Draíochta touch her, making her feel warm. Then, she suddenly heard a familiar voice. _"Mom…"_ Pandora gasped, her eyes growing wide. _"…Mom…please help Jaune…my death was not his fault…protect him for me…be his Guardian, please…"_ Jaune released his grip on Pandora and explained how this came to be.

"So…her soul is within you…My little girl is still alive…" Pandora mumbled, her hand touching Jaune's left breast. Jaune pulled her into a hug, which she accepted. In that moment, she understood what she had to do now; she understood that the Gods are not finished with her, and that her fate is intertwined with Jaune's, just as Pyrrha's was. "I shall be your Guardian. I will serve you, I will protect you, and I will fight your battles with you."

A smile spread across Pandora's lips; she has not smiled like that in a long time.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Pandora got herself dressed in new clothes, being a red tunic with black shirt, some grey trousers, black boots adorned with bronze armaments, and a bronze breastplate over it as well as some padded bronze gauntlets. At her hip was her gladius/spear Herc, and on her back, her shield, Labor; Jaune now understood where Pyrrha got the inspiration for her own combat uniform. Before they left, Pandora brought along Milo and Akouo with them and Jaune took the photo of the young him and Pyrrha from her dresser, and then they returned to the island with the Maidens. Pandora stood at the stern of the ship, staring back at the disappearing city of Mistral. Once it had faded from view, she went and sat next to Jaune, whom she ran an arm around to lean against.

"Are you nervous?" he asked her.

"A little. I mean, I never imagined I would have to take up the role of a Guardian again in my lifetime, after all," she answered. "I do promise to uphold my duty as your Guardian, however."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune attempted the Trial of Courage with Autumn once again. When he fell into the pit, darkness overtook him like before and he felt his body weight disappear. He landed, and Cinder appeared with a ball of fire in hand. Just as before, Pyrrha appeared before him, but Jaune stood his ground, where Pyrrha then vanished into ashes. "You sent her to her death, Paladin," Cinder hissed.

"You're wrong, it was not my fault. Pyrrha did what she did to protect me. She gave her life to protect me!" Jaune shot at her, surprising her. Cinder grit her teeth and threw a ball of fire upon Jaune, but he merely swatted at it with his sword, dispelling it completely. "I AM NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" he shouted swinging his sword at her. Cinder threw up a wall of fire to stop it, but the blade easily cleaved through the flames and struck Cinder. She let out an agonizing scream and exploded into ashes. Jaune drew heavy breath as he clutched his blade tightly.

Suddenly, the darkness surrounding him gave way to light, a light which blinded him. When his vision cleared, he was back upon the surface with Autumn watching over him. "Well done, you completed the Trial of Courage."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Pandora and Jaune were locked in combat together while the Maidens and Jaundice watched them. "Always remember to keep a firm and tight stance to avoid misstep," Pandora warned him before lunging at him with Herc in its gladius form, which he jumped aside to avoid. "TOO SLOW!" she added, quickly smacking him with Labor and knocking him down. Jaune was quick to roll across the sand to avoid her, where he sprang to his feet with his sword at the ready. "Remember, we are not using Draíochta for this fight. You must learn to fight as any ordinary man in the event you empty your Draíochta reserves."

"I know that. I've been training like that since I was a kid!" Jaune spat before rushing at Pandora with a stab. She avoided it and brought her gladius down upon him, but he quickly blocked it and dived for the sand, where he tried sweep kicking her, where she jumped up to avoid it. Jaune quickly flipped out of Pandora's range in time for her to stab her spear into the sand where he once stood. Pandora switched Herc to its bolt-action rifle form and repeatedly fired rounds at Jaune, who blocked them with his shield, except for one that glanced off his foot (protected by Draíochta). "You cannot just focus your defense on your main body, you have to protect everything! Your hands! Your feet! Let your shield take your hits rather than your Draíochta!" Pandora ejected the empty clip and reloaded a new one, but Jaune took this moment to rush her with Crocea Mors raised. "Using my time to reload to attack! Excellent!" Pandora complimented before blocking Crocea Mors with the body of her gun, where she spun it in a full circle, twisting the sword out of Jaune's hand, and she quickly smacked him in the face with the butt, then into his stomach before ending with a quick uppercut that knocked him onto his back. "You're a Paladin, yet I just kicked your butt. I can imagine Pyrrha having to deal with this. We've got a long ways to go." She helped him up and ruffled his hair.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"Let's see how well your healing abilities are coming along," Jaundice told his grandson. He took a knife to his bare skin and made a long cut, which dripped with blood. "At least you know when to apply your Draíochta for protection and when not to. Now try healing it." Jaune focused his Draíochta into his arm with the intent to heal. His arm suddenly glowed a bright white and the wound sealed itself up; even the blood disappeared altogether.

"I was wondering, I can heal wounds like cuts, scraps and the like, but is it possible for me to heal, say broken bones or like a hole in someone's chest?" Jaune asked as he rolled down his sleeve.

"Healing such extreme wounds would require absolute concentration and plenty of Draíochta, as well as a prayer to Aziela for help, but it is possible. I've healed my share of broken bones and regenerated organs, the latter being extremely difficult."

"What about…the dead?"

"Impossible. You cannot restore a soul back within a corpse, no matter how recent the dead one is." Jaundice noticed that his grandson seemed upset by the news. "I imagine you were hoping your power could bring Pyrrha back, weren't you?" Jaune silently nodded. Jaundice embraced his grandson in a tight hug.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"Demonstrate the ability to buff your allies. Try it on Pandora," Jaundice instructed Jaune. He concentrated his Draíochta onto Pandora in the act of powering her up; his body glowed white and Pandora's did as well for a brief moment. There was a faint flash, indicating that the act was a success and Pandora suddenly felt imbued with newfound energy. "Excellent! This power served the Holy Spear well back in the old days. It is capable of providing brief protection and strength to your allies, swapping your Draíochta in place of their Aura, but be warned that your Draíochta becomes depleted through its use. Any attempt to buff multiple allies requires a prayer to Aziela."

"I assume any power that utilizes large amounts of Draíochta requires a prayer?" Pandora asked as she still glowed.

Jaundice nodded. "Correct. While the Paladins all hold the immense power of the Gods, they can only utilize short bursts of it on their own, and thus require their help to perform anything grand in scale, where they provides the Draíochta and the ability to use such power."

"I've never really understood these complications before. Why wouldn't the Gods just give all the power to their Paladins to use whenever?"

"Having so much power at one's disposal can be taxing to their health, and without the Gods' limits, the Paladins would be able to freely use their powers without restraint…in the past, there have been some Paladins who became corrupted by their powers, and after one of them turned on his fellow allies, forcing the remaining Paladins to take him down, the Gods then enforced these limitations onto all future generations of Paladins…"

"I never thought the Paladins could do such things…" Pandora remarked.

"The stories always painted the Paladins in a good light, given how they are supposed to be the heroes of Remnant."

 _Paladins have been corrupted in the past,_ Jaune wondered. _To have all my power untapped and at my command…I could become the most powerful man in the world…_

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and Summer stood outside a cavern tucked deep within the forest. Jaune himself held a simple lit torch while Summer pointed to within the cavern's darkness. "In there is the Trial of Sacrifice. You must face this trial alone," she simply told him. Jaune nodded and entered alone. As he ventured further within, the flame from his torch diminished and eventually, it disappeared. Darkness enveloped him completely.

"So, you have arrived," said a voice from nowhere. "To be the Dànsling, you must be strong, wise, and courageous, but above all, you must be willing to make the greatrial sacrifice, even to save the world from Sheena."

"What's going on? Who are you?" Jaune called out. He squinted his eyes, but he could not adjust to the surrounding darkness.

"If you desire to unlock the true power of Crocea Mors, you must make a sacrifice."

At that moment, a light illuminated in the darkness, and under that light was Lie Ren. "Jaune, I know of your plight, and I understand what you must do. With Beacon gone, there's little left for me in this world, so choose me as the sacrifice."

"But…Nora…"

Ren smiled. "If giving my life means Nora can see a world free of Grimm and evil, so be it. Just look after her for me." The light was extinguished and Ren disappeared, only to be replaced with another light that held Nora underneath.

"Jaune, I understand that you need this power more than anything, and I understand a sacrifice is needed. Ren always looked out for me while we were growing up and he was always doing the dangerous stuff, so I know he would offer himself for this, but please, choose me…" she said with uncertainty. Nora disappeared and Weiss took her place.

"Jaune…" Weiss began. She looked upon him with a smile, a rare sight for him. "…Who would think that the goofball who couldn't control his Aura or pay attention in school would be the Dànsling of legend? I certainly didn't, but after all I saw from you at the Battle of Beacon, I realize that you are greater than I had thought…" She lowered her head for a moment. "…I thought that I could change the reputation of my family after my father has tarnished it for years, but…if giving my life so you can acquire the power of your sword would change it even a little, then I will do it."

"Weiss…you…" But before he could say anymore, Weiss disappeared and was replaced by Blake.

"…For years, I tried to correct the wrongs of the White Fang to no avail…Jaune, if I give my life for you to become a proper Dànsling, promise you will stop Adam…I fear I would not be able to do it myself…" she simply said without looking him in the eye. She too disappeared and Pandora took her place.

"Jaune, our time together has been short so far, but if this is what the Gods have planned for me, so be it," she bravely declared. "I swore myself as your Guardian, and Guardians have always fought and served alongside the Paladins in the past, and many have even died for them. I have nothing left in life to live for, so please, choose me. Above all, you must obtain the power of Crocea Mors."

"Pandora, I told you not to die for me!" Jaune shot at her. She merely smiled and vanished.

Next up Blanche, Bleu, and Noir, his sisters. They too gave their pieces explaining why Jaune should choose one of them as the sacrifice. Once they had finished, everyone reappeared in a large circle surrounding him.

"You must choose one. Choose someone to sacrifice for the power of the Dànsling," said the voice from before. An opening was created between Pandora and Ren, and a replica of Jaune emerged from the darkness. "The Dànslings of the past have had to sacrifice their allies for the greater good. You must do the same."

"How can I!? You want me to kill one of my friends!" Jaune argued.

"It is never supposed to be an easy task, but there is another option." The Other Jaune pointed to Jaune's backside, where Pyrrha appeared.

"Jaune, I know this is difficult, and it's something no one should ever have to do, so please choose me as the sacrifice. Let the part of me inside of you die so you can obtain the power of Crocea Mors…" she told him with a weak smile.

"Pyrrha…I can't…" he started.

"I believe in you…I will always believe in you…Do what you believe is the best choice…"

"You must choose, Jaune Arc," the Other Jaune stated. "Choose a life to complete the trial."

Jaune looked upon his friends, all of whom watched him, awaiting his decision. He pondered for a moment, but in the end, he could not choose anyone.

"Have you chosen?" said the Other Jaune.

"I choose…no one," Jaune answered.

"What? You have to choose someone!"

"Well, I refuse!"

The Other Jaune growled. "You cannot refuse the Trial of Sacrifice! Someone must die so you can obtain the power!"

"I WILL NOT KILL ONE OF MY FRIENDS FOR POWER!"

"YOU KNOW YOU CANNOT DO THAT! YOU NEED THIS POWER!"

"I WON'T KILL SOMEONE I LOVE FOR IT! I'LL FIGHT EVIL WITHOUT IT, IF I MUST!"

"THEN YOU WILL ONLY DIE IN THE END LIKE A FOOL!"

"SO BE IT THEN!" Jaune shouted with a growl.

The Other Jaune glared at the real him for a moment. Suddenly, a dagger appeared in his hand and he ran it into Jaune's stomach. The dagger was withdrawn and red blood splashed onto the ground. Jaune fell to his knees as his hands shot to his stomach, desperate to keep his innards inside of himself. "You are not worthy of being the Dànsling," hissed the Other Jaune before Jaune collapsed and knew no more.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune awoke outside of the cave with Summer holding him. "I must say, I am surprised you passed the Trial of Sacrifice on your first try," she remarked. She noticed his confusion quickly. "You were asked to sacrifice the life of one of your friends––do not worry, they were not real, just illusions––in order to pass the trial and move closer to unlocking the power of Crocea Mors, but it was all a trick. As you demonstrated, you would rather give up the power of the Dànsling than sacrifice someone you loved; you refused to even give up the life of Pyrrha Nikos stored within your subconscious. To give up the power of the Dànsling over the life of a loved one is the greatest sacrifice of all."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

On a secluded corner of the island near the beach, Jaune was kneeling before an altar of Aziela where he was praying. The altar consisted of a simple basin of clear water with a human-sized statue of Aziela, clad in her brilliant armor and holding her spear and shield. Her insignia, the spear crossing a round shield, sat above the basin. Jaune himself was silent, knowing full well that Aziela would hear his prayers.

"I have never been more proud of you than I am now," said Aziela's voice behind him. Jaune turned to face her, where she was garbed in her warrior's outfit and weapons, as she always is. "You have endured so much so far in life, and yet you refuse to be taken down, and the reward has been great as of now."

"Lady Aziela, what should I know about the final trial?" Jaune asked of her.

"The Trial of Purification…I must warn you, Jaune, there is no second chance in this trial. If you fail, you will suffer a fate worse than death, so I implore you to prepare yourself for a terrible battle, one of the greatest you'll ever fight."

"Aziela…I wish to know why I was chosen as your Paladin. Is it because past Dànslings were from my family?" Jaune inquired.

Aziela came forward and took him into her arms. "Never. I have chosen Dànslings were not Arcs in the past, and a few times, I've had the Guardians of Arc take up the role of Dànsling when they fell in battle. Being an Arc does not make you a Dànsling." She lifted his head and she trailed two fingers from his forehead down to his cheek and then to his chin. "You are a Dànsling not for your strength or your intelligence, but with your undying courage and your natural-born ability as a tactician. My Dànslings are not warriors of strength, but leaders of armies. They are not warriors meant to kill, but heroes that protect the people from evil. You are one of those heroes, Jaune. You are not just some warrior or a Huntsman, but a knight. _My Arc Knight._ "

"The Arc Knight…" Jaune repeated. _I like the sound of that name._ "Lady Aziela, I swear I shall complete my trial and I will fulfill my destiny as your Dànsling."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nearly three years had passed since the Fall of Beacon and Jaune has furthered his abilities as the Dànsling, with him developing his own powers to utilize, such as a protective dome composed of Draíochta, balls of Draíochta to fire upon foes, a concentrated blast of Draíochta for a short-ranged attack, and more. Not only that, his training with Pandora has proved beneficial, with Jaune finally defeating her in battle.

Jaune was finally ready for the Trial of Purification.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

"You understand the consequences if you fail?" Jaundice asked his grandson at the beach.

"I do. If I fail…" A hard swallow. "…the evil of my soul will corrupt me and kill the light of my soul…"

The Maidens surrounded Jaune in a square formation and Pandora stood next to him. "Be careful and remember all that I've taught you," she warned him before stepping away.

"I am ready," he stated as he sat into a leg cross and closed his eyes.

The Maidens extended their glowing hands towards him and rays of white light shot out and hit him, coating his entire body with it. From there, Jaune descended into the very center of his soul.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When Jaune opened his eyes, he was standing before the Arc Manor as it appeared the day he left for Beacon Academy. "Home…" he muttered. Jaune spun around, wondering where his foe would be, but there was only he.

 _"Hey…"_ said a voice from nowhere, prompting Jaune to draw his sword and shield. _"Heh, I never thought you'd be gutsy enough to fight me…"_

"Show yourself!" Jaune called out.

 _"I'm right here…"_ A black mass formed on Jaune's chest and flew outwards, where it landed upon the grass. The black mass took the shape of a human whose clothes and skin were clad in a nightmarish black. The only thing different was that its hair was a skeletal white and its eyes a blood red. Jaune gasped, for he recognized the person before him.

It was himself.

"Surprised? I mean, I am the evil portion of your soul, after all, so it's fitting I take on this form. I am everything dark about you, from your hatred, your regrets, every dark thought you've ever had in life. I'm like your shadow, if you will," the Shadow explained.

Jaune raised his sword. "So I just have to kill you to purify my soul. Sounds easy."

Shadow drew his own sword and shield, an exact replica of Crocea Mors, but they were composed of a dull grey steel and black metal. "Let us not wait any longer. Let us see who is stronger: Light or Dark," Shadow gleefully hissed.

Both rushed at each other, where Shadow swiped at Jaune first, but Jaune slid onto his knees, avoiding the strike and slashed at Shadow's knees, which were protected by Draíochta. Both leapt back to access their situation, and Jaune was quick to conclude that his only hope for victory was to continue striking his evil Shadow; no tricks, no allies to aid him, no special playing field. Only himself, Crocea Mors, and the power of the Dànsling.

Jaune immediately sealed himself in his Aura Armor and so did Shadow, but while Jaune's was white and welcoming, Shadow's was dark and repelling. "I am still you, and I wield the same powers as you do," Shadow warned him before the two rushed at each other again. Both swung swords and blocked with shields, hitting steel and flesh, only for their Aura Armors to absorb the damage. Jaune ducked under a swipe meant for his head and did a quick stab on Shadow's head, forcing his Aura Armor to disperse.

"Not bad, but how about this!?" Shadow slapped a hand to the ground, where beams of dark Draíochta rained down from the sky for Jaune, who leapt backwards to avoid them, but the last one struck him, sending him flying through the air.

When Jaune landed, he suddenly realized the scenery had changed, from the Arc Manor to the Town of Shion. _This place…I met Pyrrha here…_ he wondered as he lifted himself up, but it was too late, as Shadow charged up Draíochta into his hand and fired a straight shot for Jaune. A small ball of light emerged from within Jaune and took shape, where a round shield took the blast. _"Get up, Jaune!"_ called a familiar voice. Jaune regained himself and gasped, for the light took the shape of Pyrrha, but she appeared transparent, like a spirit. _"We will do this together!"_ Jaune stood beside her, both of their weapons drawn.

"Even in here, you're still with me," he remarked. She answered him with a smile. Both rushed at Shadow this time in Shion Square. Pyrrha lead first, striking Shadow with an overhead swing of Milo where Jaune followed with a stab at him, which he blocked with his shield. "Distract him with gunfire!" Jaune ordered. Pyrrha leapt backwards and switched to her rifle, where she open fired onto Shadow, pelleting him with bullets, allowing Jaune to get in some free strikes.

"ENOUGH!" Shadow shouted, expelling a dome of Draíochta around him, which hit Jaune and sent him flying. Pyrrha's spirit materialized by his side while he got back up. Jaune prepped Draíochta into his hand.

"Keep his attention on you," he told Pyrrha. Shadow ran forward and Pyrrha intercepted him, clashing blades.

"Get off of me, bitch!" he shouted, breaking the clash and stabbing Pyrrha, making her reel back. Jaune fired his Palm Blast, but Shadow blocked it with his shield, then slashed Jaune a few times before he was able to recover. Pyrrha leapt up and dropped down with her spear, which Shadow avoided, making Pyrrha dig her spear into the ground. Shadow slashed her a few times, knocking her down. Jaune let loose his Aura Ray, a concentration of Draíochta fired into a cone-like pattern, which enveloped Shadow as if it was fire. Shadow coated himself in a protective dome and leapt backwards, where he slapped his hand to the ground again, sending beams of black light raining down upon them, forcing them to dodge them, though one hits Jaune, briefly stunning him. Pyrrha leapt at Shadow, where they clashed blades and struck at one another until he stunned her with a burst of Draíochta and then struck her three times, followed by a stab, which knocked her down.

Shadow threw down a barrier around himself, but then he suddenly pounced out of it, catching Jaune by surprise. Jaune threw up his shield, which absorbed several sword strikes, but Shadow charged up power into his sword and struck Jaune, shattering his shield to bits. Jaune reeled from the attack, leaving him open, where Shadow sliced him five times and kicked him to the ground, sending him sprawling and tumbling. Crocea Mors left Jaune's hand and skidded across the ground.

 _"JAUNE!"_ Pyrrha cried, disappearing to his side, where she hovered over him with her xiphos ready. _"Jaune, you gotta get up! Don't give in now! Jaune! Get up! GET UP! GET UP! GET UP! GET UP!"_

 _I can't…He's too powerful for me…_ Jaune thought to himself, which Pyrrha heard.

 _"Don't say that!"_ she argued. _"Please get up! Jaune, you need to get up!"_

 _I can't win this…_

 _"Where is the man you wanted to become!? Do you remember what you said, how you wanted the boy to die and the man to be born!? Please get up!"_ Pyrrha screeched. _"Do you remember what I told you!? That you're already a hero in my eyes!? Where is the man that I believed in!?"_

 _A hero in your eyes…_ Jaune lifted himself onto all fours and he spied his blade, but it was too far from his reach; by the time he would reach it, Shadow would already be upon him. _I can't reach it in time…  
_

 _"Jaune…"_ Pyrrha touched him, and suddenly, her entire being glowed white. Jaune glowed white as well, and Pyrrha felt a sudden pull towards Jaune. _"Jaune…I feel…"_ She cut herself off, for there was nothing left to say. She felt her body meld into Jaune's, and he glowed brightly, feeling a new energy within him.

Jaune looked upon his hand and it glowed black. He saw his sword twitch upon the ground. "I can feel you, Pyrrha…" he mumbled.

 _"We will do this together, now and until the end…"_ she said from within.

The scenery changed from Shion to Beacon Tower. Jaune sprang to his feet and rushed at Shadow, who smirked, thinking that he was running to his death. Jaune focused onto his sword, and it flew into his hand. His entire body lit up with his Aura Armor, coating his body entirely as well as his blade. Shadow panicked and raised his shield to block, but Jaune tore into him regardless, striking his shield with everything he had. "IT'S TIME TO END THIS!" Jaune shouted before striking the shield directly, shattering it to pieces. He let loose, slashing Shadow multiple times, sapping away his Draíochta in large chunks before uppercutting him, sending him flying backwards with his sword landing directly into the floor between them.

Shadow wiped at his mouth while glaring at Jaune, who remained stoic and his grip upon Crocea Mors remained tight. Shadow sprinted for his fallen sword and Jaune did the same towards his enemy with his sword raised. Shadow crossed his sword to block Jaune, but when Jaune brought Crocea Mors down, it shattered Shadow's Crocea Mors to pieces and cleaved through his body, spilling black blood upon the floor. Jaune did not rest, slashing his sword across Shadow's unprotected body continuously before he spun around and drove his sword through his chest.

Shadow coughed up blood and fell to his knees as he stared upon the blade embedded in his chest. "Damn…you got me…" He gave Jaune a grin. "…Guess I'm gonna disappear now, but Jaune…be careful…don't let yourself be blinded by too much negativity, otherwise I could return again…" Jaune said nothing, choosing to look upon the personification of all his evil. Shadow smirked again. "…Nah, you're not like that…You'll never see me again…" Shadow faded into dust and disappeared, leaving Crocea Mors to fall to the floor with a clatter.

Jaune fell onto his back exhausted from the fight. _I did it…_

Pyrrha appeared as a transparent spirit over top of him. She smiled and took his cheeks in her hands. _"I knew you could do it…"_

"Because I'm already the hero you think I am," he smiled. She chuckled and kissed him.

 _"Yes…Yes, you are…"_ They held hands, which glowed black. _"Our souls have joined together and synchronized…the power of polarity is yours to wield, so use it well."_

"You can bet on that, Pyr."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune opened his eyes and his entire body was glowing white with his Draíochta. The lights from the Maidens was gone and Pandora was sitting beside him with him in her arms. Jaune himself could feel a great weight off his shoulders; the weight of all his evils. _"You did it, Jaune!"_ said Pyrrha's voice inside his mind.

"Pyrrha!?" he cried out, leaping out of Pandora's arms.

 _"Don't get excited. I'm here inside your mind. When our souls merged together, I seem to have established some kind of close connection with you, now we seem able to communicate freely whenever we wish,"_ she explained.

Jaune repeated this to Pandora, who was happy to learn this. She gave him a mother's hug (the equivalent of a big bear hug with the added love of a mother) and later, she spoke to Pyrrha through Jaune, where the two caught up.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaundice and the Maidens brought Jaune and Pandora to the altar of Aziela for the christening of Crocea Mors. Jaune offered the blade to the altar, where it left his hands and floated in midair. Aziela appeared, holding the sword in her hands. "It is wonderful to see that my blade has been taken care of for so long," she remarked as she marveled upon Crocea Mors. "Let us begin restoring this ancient blade to its proper self."

"Lady Aziela, before you begin, will you…?" Pandora interrupted, offering the shards of Milo, Akouo, and Pyrrha's circlet. "…Can you meld these onto the sword, please?" Pandora glanced over at Jaune for permission, and he allowed it, answered with a nod. Aziela took up the weapons and circlet and had them hover alongside Crocea Mors.

"Jaune Arc, you have demonstrated your strength, your wisdom, your courage, and your selfishness through the completion of the Five Trials. You have purified your soul, and now, Crocea Mors can accept you as its rightful wielder." Aziela encased Crocea Mors in a bright light with the pieces of Pyrrha surrounding it. The circlet broke into two pieces and clamped themselves onto the crossguard. The shards of Milo were absorbed into the blade itself, strengthen its density. The shield Akouo were instantly melted down and reformed into the blade, adding a long bronze line down the center of the blade and it was also merged into the shield, adding a bronze trim around the rim of it. "It needs a little more…" Aziela sheathed the sword into the scabbard and made it glow. The scabbard shifted and grew, and a small button appeared on the scabbard near the sword's crossguard. Aziela handed Crocea Mors back to Jaune, who drew the blade to admire it, and it was as weightless as it was before. "Now sheath it and press the button," Aziela instructed him. Jaune obeyed and upon pressing the button, the scabbard transformed around the blade, turning the once-simple broadsword into a bastard sword. Jaune felt a heavy weight in his sword with the shield coating it. He gave it a few practice swings before sheathing it again.

"Now, Jaune, you must recite the Oath of the Dànsling," Aziela instructed.

"I shall help with that," Jaundice interjected. He handed Jaune a small scroll of paper with some writing upon it. "Recite the words while you hold Crocea Mors, Jaune."

Jaune drew Crocea Mors and kneeled, tucking the slip of paper in between his fingers.

"In darkness, I shall be light.

In times of doubt, I shall keep faith.

In throes of rage, I shall hone my craft.

In vengeance, I shall have no mercy.

In the midst of battle, I shall have no fear.

In the face of death, I shall have no remorse.

By Aziela's Light, I am her Arc Knight!"

Crocea Mors hummed and flashed with a bright light, blinding everyone around it. When the light dispersed, the blade itself held a warm and powerful glow.

Rise, my Dànsling," Aziela stated, to which Jaune obeyed, gripping the new Crocea Mors tightly. "I order you to protect the people of Remnant, to vanquish the followers of Sheena, to destroy the Grimm she creates, and to wield your power only against your enemies."

"I shall do as you command, Lady Aziela," Jaune swore. Aziela smiled and then Jaundice came forward.

"I guess this means my time is up. To be honest, I've been looking forward to this," the old Arc spoke as he stepped up beside Aziela. "Jaune, I've been alive for all these years waiting for you to arrive so I can pass my teachings onto you, and now that you are ready, I am no longer needed in this world."

"Grandpa…You're going to die?" Jaune asked.

"Exactly that. Aziela promised to bring me up Above once I complete this mission for her, and she promised me a painless death as well." Jaundice gave his grandson a big hug, to which Jaune cried into his shoulder. "Do not cry, Jaune, for I will finally get to see your great-great-grandmother again, as well as my old friend, General Lagune." He pushed his grandson away with a smile as his entire body glowed white with his Draíochta. "Maidens, I request that you four aid Jaune in his journeys however you can." The Maidens all nodded in unison. Aziela took Jaundice's shoulder and the two ascended up into the sky, where they disappeared into the clouds.

"Goodbye, grandpa. Thanks for everything," Jaune said to himself, still watching the sky.

"So, now I guess we have to leave the island and locate the Knights of the Holy Spear now?" Pandora asked.

Jaune strapped his sword to his hip. "No, not just yet. I want to stop in Mistral at the Huntsmen Mission Depot first. I have to view the Huntsmen Database and find out where Ren and Nora are."

 _"I'm glad you haven't forgotten about Ren and Nora,"_ Pyrrha remarked.

"I've been away for nearly three years, and Ren and Nora have no idea of what we've been up to all this time," Jaune told her aloud. "At the very least, I owe them an explanation, and at the same time, I want us to be Team JNPR again."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

While in Mistral, Jaune and his new female companions visited a few shops, where he purchased some new clothes and armor for himself. He bought a red long-sleeve shirt with a popped collar and a black, short-sleeve coat to replace his Pumpkin Pete hoodie, which he had outgrown. However, he stopped at a seamstress, where he had her sew a small Pumpkin Pete face onto the coat's left breast, a decision Pandora found amusing. Along with these, Jaune purchased wood brown cargo pants and black boots to replace his old denim jeans and sneakers, as well as a new leather belt with side pouches. At an armor shop, Jaune purchased a chainmail shirt for under his coat, a brand new steel breastplate that covered more of his body, steel pauldrons for his shoulders, and a pair of leather, fingerless gloves with steel backs for added protection. All these were purchased with some Lien the Maidens had (which Pyrrha questioned as to how they obtained. "Probably magic," Jaune chuckled.)

"You look like a proper knight already," Pandora remarked upon seeing Jaune in his new outfit.

 _"I think you look downright handsome!"_ Pyrrha complimented.

"Pandora, your daughter is trying to seduce me," Jaune joked. _"HEY!"_

The six of them made it to the Huntsmen Mission Depot, where they looked up Ren and Nora's information. They discovered that after the Vale Reclamation, Ren and Nora moved to Mistral to finish their Huntsmen education at Haven, and upon graduating a few months ago, they switched between protection jobs outside of the kingdom and various Grimm hunting missions. Currently, the two were on a mission tracking a dangerous Grimm near the village of Shion, where they have been for nearly two weeks. "We best hurry there as soon as possible once we are properly prepared," notified Jaune.

After buying some food and travel gear, they headed for the airship airlines, but along the way, they passed by the crowded Mistral Square full of rushing citizens, children playing about, and others enjoying the beautiful sight and weather. Directly in the center was a glorious fountain that bore a small altar to Aziela, depicting a statue of her. Jaune decided to stop to offer a prayer and a tribute to his Goddess.

He kneeled before the altar (even as small children danced and played around on the fountain) and placed a small apple into the water-filled basin. "Lady Aziela, I offer this apple as a token of my appreciation for all you've done for me, and I ask that you offer myself and my companions safe passage on our journey to Shion to find Ren and Nora."

The water within the foundation suddenly glowed a bright white, which scared the playful children away from it and garnered attention from passing citizens, many of whom began recording the strange phenomena on their scrolls. _"Your prayer has been answered, my Dànsling. Good luck on your journey,"_ said Aziela's voice from nowhere. The water returned to it's normal hue, and Jaune and his companions took their leave as everyone watched them go with confusion.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **May 30th 1583**

 **The Schnee Dust Company, Atlas**

Weiss sat in her office overlooking a report on Menagerie on her holographic desktop, where the current chieftain, Sienna Khan, sent a report to the SDC complimenting their generosity in sending Dust and Atlesian weaponry, drones, and turrets to aid them in colonizing more of the island as well as provide better defense. Weiss smiled as she watched a video from Sienna Khan himself personally thanking her for all she has done for the island. Weiss swiped the video off her screen and opened up a report detailing Dust sales and profits across the four kingdoms. "We seem to be doing pretty good now, ever since I took over," she told herself as she viewed the high numbers.

At that moment, her desk scroll buzzed with a call from her butler Klein Sieben, which she tapped to answer. "Klein, what is it?" she asked.

"Forgive me for the interruption, Miss Schnee, but I have an interesting news report from Mistral that you might be interested in," Klein notified her.

"Please, it is quite alright. What is it about?" At once, the report appeared on her screen, which showed a news article about Jaune's prayer at the Mistral Square. "Hmm…some unknown warrior prayed at the altar of Aziela and the foundation water glowed with an eerie light? Klein, how is this…!" Weiss started until she saw the picture, which showed Jaune at the altar with who she thought looked like Pyrrha beside him. "…Jaune…" Her fingers traced over her left eye and the healed scar.

"According to the report, it is unknown who the four women with Jaune Arc are, but the redhead is retired Huntress Pandora Nikos, who is the mother to Pyrrha Nikos, Jaune's former partner," Klein explained. "I understand you wanted me to report to you any findings on your friends, Miss Weiss, so would you like me to ready an airship set for Mistral?"

Weiss was silent for a minute. She still had no idea where Ruby was, and neither did Blake or Yang when she last met with them, and she knew of Ren and Nora's whereabouts in Mistral. "No, that won't be needed, Klein, thank you." She hung up on him and leaned back in her chair, where she stared out the window upon the factory of the Schnee Dust Company. "Jaune, where have you been all this time?" She took in a deep sigh and thought of Pyrrha's mother. "I hope you're doing okay, Jaune, especially after that night…" Her scroll rang again, this time with one of her business partners. Weiss let it ring for a moment before answering it and going back to work.

 **Next Time: JNPR Reunited**


	9. JNPR Reunited

**Chapter 9: JNPR Reunited**

 **June 2nd 1583**

 **The Town of Shion**

Rain poured from the night sky over the summer town of Shion, a popular vacation spot the world over. Everyone living in this town and visiting it were inside their homes, their shops, or the few hotels that dotted its areas, full of Shion citizens, passing travelers, some Huntsmen, and visitors on vacation. It was about ten o' clock when six weary travelers wearing cloaks and packs wandered into the Winking Ursa, Shion's only tavern, which was established shortly after Shion's construction decades ago. Every patron inside turned to see the new arrivals. The tavern's owner went to them. "Anything I can do for you?" the owner, Midori, asked sweetly, her grassy green eyes gleaming at them.

"We need two rooms, as well as some food," the leader answered. He threw back his red cloak and revealed himself to be Jaune. "We're here looking for two Huntsmen by the names of Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie as well, who we hear are stationed here in Shion."

"Are you sure you wouldn't want to stay at one of Shion's hotels instead? The Winking Ursa is known most for its tavern than it is for its lodgings, after all," Midori warned, but Jaune was persistent in wanting to stay here. She lead the six up a stairway and to two of the only seven rooms at the end of the half, not counting her own private bedroom. "Your rooms are here, divide them up as you wish. I shall have some food brought to you soon, but I expect payment by tomorrow," Midori dictated as she showed them the rooms, containing shabby decorations with simple beds and nightstands. Jaune placed a 500 Lien card in Midori's hand, which made her eyes sparkle.

"That should cover us for a few days, right?" Jaune asked her.

"Quite enough for a few days, alright!" Midori beamed before taking off.

"Jaune, my sisters and I shall take the other room. You and Pandora take the other," Autumn notified him before the Four Maidens retreated into their room.

"Well, shall we?" Pandora said as she went into their room, where she changed out of her wet clothes (with Jaune looking away out of respect, as always). She smoked a cigarette before she tucked herself into bed and dozed off.

 _"This place brings back some memories,"_ said Pyrrha's voice inside his mind.

"I wish I could remember something about us together here though," Jaune softly sighed.

 _"Right. I'm sorry."_

He chuckled. "No need to apologize." Jaune slid off his pack and wet cloak onto a chair. "Regardless, our mission here is to find Ren and Nora and bring them with us to Vale for the Knights of the Holy Spear."

 _"A good place to start would be the tavern. The only time Huntsmen ever come to this town is for town protection as per the kingdom's orders, so two Huntsmen being assigned to track down some powerful Grimm is bound to earn some murmurs."_

Jaune headed downstairs and took a seat at the counter, where he ordered a drink: Mistral rum mixed with strawberry juice; a tame drink for a young drinker. "So, you a Huntsman? What are you doing in Vale?" asked the bartender, a stout middle-aged Deer Faunus.

"I'm not a Huntsman, I'm a knight," Jaune remarked, earning laughs from a man sitting beside him.

"A knight, eh? Like some kind of fairy tale hero who slays beasts and saves princesses!?" he laughed before downing his drink completely.

"That, as well as protecting the weak and innocent from evil," Jaune smirked. He took a swig of his drink just as one of the men grabbed his drink and left.

"So, you're really a knight, huh? I guess you dropped out of one of the Huntsmen academies or something? You look young enough to attend," remarked the other man beside him.

Jaune gave the curious man a smile, noting how he was about Jaune's age. "I wouldn't say I dropped out of my own decision, but when Grimm and White Fang attack your school and destroy half of Vale, you can't really attend there anymore."

The man suddenly gasped, having put the pieces together. "Y-You were at Beacon! The night of the Vytal Tournament!"

"That I was." Jaune finished his glass.

The man ordered a drink for Jaune on his tab. "I can't imagine the horrors you must've witnessed that day, and to continue being a Huntsman after that…"

"There's far greater horrors in this world. Be glad that you are not me, for I have to face those horrors and far worse to keep Remnant safe from the evils that should not exist." The man was confused by those last words, but he thanked Jaune for his valiant efforts as a Huntsman, and Jaune thanked him for the drink and for listening to him.

Jaune went around to the patrons, showing them a picture of Ren and Nora on his scroll, asking about them. "Yeah, I saw them," said one patron. "They were here a couple days ago, said they were going out east of here near Kuroyuri to track down some huge Grimm that's been seen in the area." Jaune asked about Kuroyuri. "That place was destroyed by Grimm roughly 10 or so years ago, and from what I hear, no one survived the attack." Jaune thanked him for the information and went back to his room, where he undressed and went to bed for the night.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Near Kuroyuri**

Nora was lying on her bed roll by a crackling fire while Ren was atop the hill they were staying upon, gazing upon the open land before him with augmented sight thanks to his Aura. There was nothing moving out there, and with his Aura-enhanced hearing, nothing was near. "Ren! I can't sleep!" Nora whined, sitting herself up. Upon graduating at Haven Academy, Nora updated her Huntress uniform by adding a black bomber jacket bearing her insignia upon its back, though she still keeps the armor strips on her body. She increased the length of her skirt since, and she swapped out her old sneakers for calf-length pink boots with knee-high pink socks, and even her hair has grown a little, now reaching the bottom of her neck.

Ren himself changed little of his attire after graduation as well, swapping out his old tailcoat for a longer one with a popped collar, with a black turtleneck to wear underneath. He also wore black fingerless gloves and switched his old shoes for pointed toe black boots. He gave a sigh and went for her. Nora has been having many sleepless nights for the last year, though by no means was Ren upset or bothered by it. He sat down beside her and gave her a warm smile. "Same reason why as last week?" he asked, knowing the answer straight away. Nora gave a slow nod. "I'm worried about Jaune too. I worry about him just about every day."

"Where do you think he ran away to that day? Do you think he's alright, wherever he is?" Nora asked him.

"I don't know, Nora, I don't know, but I know he's alright." He took her hand in his, where she wrapped her arms around his sleeve. "Jaune's tougher than he looks, tougher than us both…he wouldn't…" He hesitated, not wanting to talk about Pyrrha. _It still hurts, even after three years._ "…He wouldn't let anything bring him down."

Nora hummed to herself, and within a few minutes, she fell asleep. Ren laid her upon her bed roll and went back to the hill to survey the land again. _You better be okay, Jaune, wherever you are. I will never forgive you if you leave us alone._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The next morning, Jaune, Pandora, and the Maidens gathered in his room to discuss a plan. "Given that Ren and Nora are tracking a Grimm, they're bound to be on the move, even as we speak, so I propose some of us go searching the local area," Jaune proposed.

"You and Pandora can go. We shall stay to keep the peace," Autumn advised.

"Our powers combined make us a deadly force to be reckoned with, the kind that any roving bandits or Grimm will instantly regret," Winter added. She raised a hand with a smile and a bush of icicles grew from her palm. The other Maidens followed suit, with a ball of crackling fire in Autumn's hand, swirling wind and crackles of lightning in Spring's, and a ball of bright light in Summer's.

"You have nothing to fear with us here in Shion," said Summer.

The Maidens took their leave to give Jaune and Pandora privacy to gear up and head out. The two dressed themselves (again, Jaune looked away to give Pandora privacy) and slipped their weapons on. "Hold on a moment," Pandora told Jaune. She sat him down onto a chair and grabbed at the back of his hair. She straightened out a ponytail and tied it up with a blue hair band from her own hair. "There you go, now you've got your own warrior's wolf tail!" She slapped the back of his head. She remembered the time when Jaune once mentioned how her sisters always braided his hair.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and Pandora set out from the tavern, but they took a moment to stop by a small horse ranch near the outskirts that offered rental horses for fun rides. Jaune rented two horses with a Lien card and handed one to Pandora. The two mounted their horses and took off in the direction of Kuroyuri.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Nora followed Ren as they patrolled the forests near Kuroyuri as he tracked a set of large horse hoofs. "The creature was here recently, the tracks are still fresh…" Ren remarked. They followed the tracks further for about a mile. "…It's heading for Shion…"

Suddenly, the trees in the fold were blown apart and a large Grimm burst into the clearing. Ren and Nora reacted quickly, jumping backwards and readying their weapons, but the two young Huntsmen suddenly lost their composure upon seeing the creature before them.

The Grimm appeared humanoid in shape, but it was anything but human. The Grimm was clad entirely in black armor bearing a white skeletal pattern of that like the normal Grimm. It rode upon a Grimm-like steed that held red eyes and a skeletal white mane. In one hand the Grimm bore a black lance, in the other an enormous black shield that bore an emblem: a red heart composed of two high-heel shoes. The Mark of Sheena. The Grimm glared upon Ren and Nora with its red eyes peering through its helm and its jagged mouth pursed open in a roar, a roar that the two remember from their childhood.

Their nightmare has returned. The Black Grimm Knight.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 _It was over ten years ago when that creature attacked Kuroyuri, back when it was a thriving town that held residents of Mistral that expanded out into the wilds. Ren, a boy at that time, remembered how he awoke in his bedroom with a startle when he heard the roar of that Grimm. His father Li Ren burst into his room with his bow in hand and dragged Lie through the house to his mother An Ren. "Mom! Dad! What's going on!?" young Lie cried._

 _"Don't worry, hunny! Everything is going to be fine!" An Ren assured her son just before the house roof caved in on top of them, to which Lie lost conscious._

 _When Lie came to, his body was heaving up and down, for his father was carrying him under his arm, and his bow was in the other with an arrow nocked and ready. Around him, Lie could see his fellow neighbors and Kuroyuri residents running in terror and screaming at unseen creatures. "Dad, where's mom!?" Lie cried, but received no answer, for Li refused to speak. Behind them, a huge Grimm appearing like a man in armor rode upon a black Grimm steed, where it cut down civilians with a mighty lance. They reached a nearby bridge, where Li set his son down and shoved a curved dagger into his hands. Nearby, a child with orange hair sat against the marble railing sobbing._

 _"Protect yourself, Lie! The time has come for you to become a man now!" Li warned him. Lie began to cry as he clutched the dagger tightly, to which Li embraced his son. He stole a glance back at the Grimm horsemen that was coming for them. "Do not worry about me, Lie." He kissed his son's forehead. "I will hold the beast off while you get to safety. Now go!" Li pushed the boy away and ran back for the beast. The sobbing girl crawled to Lie's side, where they held onto each other as they watched Li Ren fight the monster._

 _"Creature of darkness, I shall send you Below!" Li declared as he nocked an arrow to his bow. The Black Grimm Knight let out a ferocious roar and lunged its mighty lance towards him, where he leapt onto it and ran up towards the beast, where he jumped and fired his arrow upon it. The arrow plunged into the Grimm's skin, forcing a roar from it. Li fell to the ground and readied another arrow. The Black Grimm Knight swung its lance down upon Li, who rolled aside and fired his arrow, but this one bounced off the protective armor._

 _Lie Ren and the sobbing girl watched Li battle with the Black Grimm Knight from afar. "Don't worry. My father is a great Huntsman! He'll beat that Grimm!" Lie assured his new friend, who sniffled and clung tighter to him._

 _Li avoided another lunge from the creature and fired another arrow upon it, which struck skin in between the armor joints. "I won't let you leave here alive!" Li declared as he readied three arrows to his bow. He channeled Aura into his legs and leapt high into the air with the arrows aimed for the Grimm's exposed face. The Black Grimm Knight suddenly leapt from atop its steed to meet Li, where it bashed him with its shield, sending him crashing to the ground, his bow beyond his grasp. Li's Aura crackled across his body and disappeared, making him completely vulnerable. The Black Grimm Knight towered over him with its lance pointed for him. As the blade came down, Li's last thoughts were of Lie and An._

 _Afar, Lie and the girl watched as the Black Grimm Knight mounted its steed and raised its steel lance in the air, which had Li impaled upon it, and the monster let out a victorious and ferocious roar, one that pierced the two children's very being. "Dad…Dad! DAD!" young Lie cried out with tears streaking down his cheeks. Gripping the dagger tightly, Lie was about to run out to face the monster when the girl grabbed hold of his sleeve and dragged him down to the ground, where she clung herself to him and sobbed again. Lie came to his senses and hugged her._

 _At that moment, green sparks flew across Lie and he felt himself grow full of a strange energy: his Aura. At once, he felt his conscious grow calm and devoid of the anger and sadness he had a moment ago, and the color in his skin turned a monochrome grey. "What is your name?" Lie asked the girl._

 _"N-Nora…Nora Valkyrie…" the girl mumbled._

 _Lie helped her up. "I'm Lie Ren." At once, the color in his body restored itself. In time, Lie would come to call his Semblance "Serenity." "C'mon, we better get somewhere safe." Lie took Nora's hand and the two ran through the streets, avoiding the roving Grimm along the way to Kuroyuri's entrance gates._

 _They were forced to hide inside a small carpenter's store that belonged to a good friend of Lie's mother, for a Stage 1 Ursa spotted them and headed for them. Inside, they ducked behind the counter, but the Ursa wedged itself inside and began sniffing for them. "I need a distraction, Nora. Can you do that for me?" Lie whispered to his new friend as he drew his dagger. Nora nodded and grabbed a small block of wood, which she tossed to the front door, making the Ursa turn towards it. Lie rushed out with his dagger aimed for the beast's head, but the Ursa quickly swatted at him, where Lie was knocked down and pinned under its foot. The Ursa drooled, ready for a tasty meal. Nora, however, grabbed a large iron mallet and attacked the Ursa, striking its white skull and cracking it. She repeatedly struck it over and over, eventually breaking its exoskeleton skull. With it distracted with Nora, Lie plunged his dagger into its neck, spilling black blood onto himself, and he repeatedly pulled and plunged until the Ursa fell over dead, where it faded into nothing. Nora helped Lie up and the two regained their composure._

 _"You're pretty handy with a hammer, huh?" Lie remarked with a smile. Nora cradled the mallet in her hands and gave him a weak smile. "C'mon, we better get out of here."_

 _"Um…Lie?" Nora quickly mumbled. "C-Can I just call you 'Ren' instead?"_

 _He gave her a warm smile. "Yeah, that is fine." Lie––now Ren––took her hand and the two left Kuroyuri forever, never to return._

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

The Black Grimm Knight gazed upon the fallen wounded Huntsmen before it, as if it was trying to feel pity for the young humans. Ren laid upon his back, his clothes ripped and stained in his blood and a large hole in his lower region. He was gasping for air and he could feel himself slowly dying. Nearby, Nora laid face down in a similar fashion, covered in blood and dying, but she was not moving. "What are you waiting for!?" Ren spat at the monster. "Kill us! Do it now!"

The Black Grimm Knight peered upon this boy for a silent moment, then it turned and disappeared into the forest's thickets, leaving the two to slowly die and eventually be consumed by the wilds' denizens.

"Ren…" Nora croaked as she desperately crawled towards him. "…I'm pretty messed up…Ren…" When she reached him, he reached out and took her, bringing her closer to him. "…Stay with me…"

"I'm here…I won't leave you…" Ren told her, making her smile with tears in her eyes. _Gods, why must you do this to us? Why…?_

"I just wish we could've seen Jaune one last time…I hope he never finds out about us…" Nora mumbled.

Ren teared up, wishing the same. He relaxed and waited for Death to come for him and the girl he loved.

"JAUNE! JAUNE, I FOUND THEM!" screeched a voice from nowhere. Ren's eyes shot open and he saw a woman with red hair descend from a horse and rush towards them. For a fleeting moment, he thought the woman was Pyrrha.

Another horseman burst from the trees, this one in a red cloak. _Ruby?_ Ren wondered. The rider dismounted and drew his sword, whose steel was glowing a bright light before it suddenly vanished. "The area is clear of Grimm, Pandora," Jaune declared as he plunged the blade into the ground. "I'll start a healing circle for Ren and Nora, but I need you to protect us during it. Keep an eye on the sword for an early warning." Pandora nodded and Jaune rushed to Ren and Nora, where he fixed them onto their backs. "Stay still, you two," he ordered them as he got onto his knees.

"…Jaune…" Ren moaned.

"Hush, Ren! I need to concentrate!" Jaune clasped his hands together and they glowed brightly, then he slapped one hand to the ground, where a white rune circle in the shape of Aziela's Mark appeared underneath Ren and Nora. "Lady Aziela, hear me! Give me the power I need to save me friends from Death's reach!" Jaune called to the sky, where his body immediately glowed with his Draíochta. "Thank you, milady." Jaune hovered his hands over Ren and Nora's body, where their wounds slowly sealed up, fully healed; even their clothes repaired themselves and the stains disappeared. Ren and Nora, despite how surprised they were, attempted to stand, but Jaune forced them to stay down. "Your wounds are healed, but you're still sore, so you have to keep it easy," he explained, and then he smiled. Tears welted up in his eyes.

"JAUNE!" Nora cried, leaping onto him and embracing him in a tight hug. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH, YOU STUPID DUMMY!" Tears ran down her cheeks, but her smile did not fade.

"Jaune…" Ren mumbled as he too sat up against Jaune's wishes and put his arms around him. "…I missed you, brother…"

Jaune wrung his arms around both of his friends and softly wept with a smile on his lips. "I missed you both so much…" he muttered. They stayed together for a while longer, not wanting to leave each other's embrace.

Team JNPR has finally been reunited.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Jaune and Pandora took the two back to Shion, where they were taken to the town doctor who tested them and concluded that they were in good shape. Pandora took them back to the tavern to rest while Jaune gathered the Huntsmen and Huntresses stationed at Shion to warn them about the Black Grimm Knight in the wilds; some of them were reluctant to believe the young man who appeared from nowhere and had no Huntsmen credentials, but they could not ignore a warning of Grimm, especially after they heard what happened to Ren and Nora.

Later that day, once the sun Soliela set and the shattered moon Luneis rose into the sky, Jaune stood outside their tavern room on the balcony with a cigarette in his mouth. _"You know that smoking is bad for you,"_ Pyrrha remarked.

"Oh, hush up, you can't stop me," he chuckled before taking another puff.

 _"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to watch out for you."_

"It's alright, really." He finished the cigarette, smashed it into the wooden railing, and started another one. "To be honest, I miss you being like a protective mom to me, and to the team too."

 _"Don't you wish we could go back to the way things were? Back to our days at Beacon…"_

Jaune sniffled, holding back tears. "Yeah…back when our biggest worries were remaining top of our class and steering clear of Cardin…"

 _"So much has changed since those days, hasn't it?"_

"Yeah. Back then, I was just a talentless shrimp struggling to be a Huntsman, and now I'm a powerful Paladin brimming with unspeakable power and abilities, destined to protect the world from evil."

 _"And look at what this power has brought you. You are becoming the hero you always wanted to be, you kept me here in this world, and you saved Ren and Nora from death."_

"I just wish I could change the mistakes I made in the past though, especially you." Jaune leaned upon the railing now. "I wish I learned of our past together before I lost you."

 _"Maybe it was my destiny that I died that night. I am destined to protect you as your Guardian, and I've done that, having protected and trained you at Beacon, sacrificing myself by posing as the Dànsling to Cinder, and having my soul bounded to yours when you confronted your dark half for supremacy. Maybe this was meant to be…"_

From inside, Ren stirred awake and spotted Jaune outside. He threw a robe around his shoulders and went to Jaune's side. "Ren, how are you feeling? I imagine you must still be sore."

"A little bit, but otherwise, I'm fine," his friend answered, pulling the robe tighter around him to protect him from the nighttime breeze. Ren stole a glance inside and spotted Nora sprawled in her bed sleeping soundly. "Even after all that's happened today, she's still asleep."

Jaune chuckled. "Yeah, hard to believe, huh?" He offered Ren his cigarette, who took a puff from it before handing it back. "Look at us, all grown up, full-fledged warriors, and smoking cigarettes. We're real men now." The two shared a chuckle amongst each other for a moment.

Ren fell silent, trying to summon the courage to speak. "I want to know where you've been these last three years? Last we saw you, you left us at Ruby and Yang's house on Patch in the middle of the night with that strange note."

Jaune instantly hushed up. He looked away from Ren and smushed the cigarette into the railing. "I'm sorry, Ren. Really, I am. You have to understand what I had to do…"

"Jaune, this morning, I was dying in the middle of the Mistral forest this morning after a creature I haven't seen since I was a boy practically slaughtered Nora and I. I thought I was going to die, and then you come bounding out of the forest with Pyrrha's mother at your side and you healed my wounds. You rambled on about the Goddess Aziela, asking for Draíochta and you brought us back from the brink of death. I don't want to understand anything, I want to know what is going on and why you disappeared for three years," Ren interrupted.

 _"Jaune, we came here to find Ren and Nora. We both know that you would have to tell them the truth eventually,"_ said Pyrrha's voice.

"I know, Pyr, I know," Jaune said aloud.

"Pyr? Jaune…Pyrrha is gone…"

Jaune shook his head. "She's not gone. She's…just not here right now." Ren gave him an strange look. "Oh great, you must think I'm crazy. Guess I better just show you." Jaune went to Ren and placed his hands upon his cheek and heart, where he channeled his Draíochta into Ren's body.

 _"Hello again, Ren,"_ said Pyrrha's voice within Ren's mind, shocking him. _"I know this is sudden, but please understand that I am alright, given the circumstances…"_ Pyrrha continued on, explaining how part of her soul came to be merged and synchronized with Jaune's own soul, and Jaune himself explained why he disappeared for three years and what he has endured since. The discussions ended up being a couple hours, and by the time Jaune had finished, the sunset sky turned to a beautiful dark night. When it was done, Ren could barely comprehend it all; that Jaune possessed incredible powers, that his sword held the power of the sun, that Pyrrha had merged with his soul, everything.

"This is…" Ren let out a sigh. "…I mean…" He could not find the right words to express his bewilderment.

"I felt the same when Ozpin told me and Pyrrha of our destinies too."

"…Pyrrha though…I imagine it must've been hard…you know…having her inside you for the past three years?"

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, it was. Still is, but it brought some good."

"So why are you here?"

"I came here to find you and Nora and bring you with me to Vale. I have some urgent business there, but after today, we will have to stay to deal with this Black Grimm Knight." Jaune lit another cigarette. "Ren, this Grimm Knight is extremely powerful, I'm sure you realize that now. It's clear this breed of Grimm is meant to be one of Sheena's most powerful creations. Promise me that you and Nora will not approach it when it comes to Shion."

Ren was hesitant given the circumstances between him and the Black Grimm Knight, but he gave Jaune his word. Jaune went inside and pressed a hand to Nora's forehead, filling her with some of Pyrrha's Aura. Inside her dreams, Nora learned everything about Jaune and Pyrrha from her friend. "Be ready, Ren," Jaune told his friend. "Dark times are ahead of us."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

Jaune went around town with Pandora and another two Huntsmen to survey the town's defenses, from the walls and the mounted guns (courtesy of Atlas to many towns and cities outside of the Kingdoms). "We need to ensure that the mounted guns are all working properly and loaded. The Black Grimm Knight is sure to be a tough customer, but the guns can take down any regular Grimm it brings along with it."

"I'm sorry, but the whole idea of a humanoid Grimm in armor is just insane!" said one of the Huntsmen.

"Yeah, I have to agree. Plus, who are you to boss us around?" said the other.

Pandora was quick to answer for Jaune. "He is Jaune Arc, the Arc Knight and Dànsling of Aziela, and you owe him your allegiance, for without his power, your fellow Huntsmen Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie would be dead!" she boomed without a stutter or slip.

 _"Mother thinks highly of you, that's for sure."_

"Pandora, there's no need for that," Jaune insisted. The two Huntsmen gave puzzled looks, confused as to why Pandora addressed Jaune with the title of a fairy tale hero. The crew finished their patrol soon after. "How many blacksmiths does Shion have?" he asked one of the Huntsmen, who answered that there were three. "We need to have those three start mass-producing swords and spears for every able-bodied person in Shion."

"You don't intend to have simple people fight alongside us, do you!?" complained one Huntsman.

"I don't want them to fight, but I won't have them be defenseless for when the Grimm come!" Jaune boomed. "If we can save even one life by putting a blade in the hands of one citizen, then so be it!" With his decision finalized, the Huntsmen went to the blacksmiths to deliver the orders while Jaune alone inspected the outside of the town walls.

 _"I assume you hope that you can instill a desire to protect Shion into the citizens here if you put weapons in their hands,"_ Pyrrha remarked.

"I don't want any of them to die through this decision, but it will be blood on my hands if I don't arm them to begin with. At least this decision will give them the opportunity to defend themselves. If they so desire, they can fight alongside us," Jaune told her.

 _"I hope they will. If Ren is correct about this Black Grimm Knight, then this creature will be immensely powerful and likely to have a lot of Grimm following behind it."_

"Looks like it will be my job to kill it then." As Jaune continued his patrol, he noticed a sign pointing in a certain direction into the nearby woods. "Misty Waterfall this way," it said. Feeling a sense of nostalgia, he followed the sign into the woods, where he soon came upon a small pond and waterfall enshrouded in a hazy mist. Jaune retrieved his scroll and pulled up the photograph of the young Jaune and Pyrrha at Shion. "I…I think I remember…"

 _"This way, Jaune!" called a young Pyrrha as she dragged Jaune towards the Misty Waterfall._

 _"Aw, c'mon! We've already been there! Can't we climb trees or something instead?" Jaune asked._

 _"Nah, I've got something cool for you!" They found themselves at the Misty Waterfall, which was deserted. Pyrrha stripped down to her swimsuit under her summer clothes and hopped into the warm waters with a whoop. Jaune followed suit and took off his shirt and sandals before joining her. The two splashed around and jumped onto each other for a while, both enjoying their time together. "Isn't this fun?" Pyrrha called to him before she leapt onto him with a growl, sending them both underwater for a brief moment. Jaune said nothing back, but his actions answered for him._

 _After a while, once the two have calmed down a little, they spent some time together by the pond's edge, where they skipped pebbles and small rocks into the waters. "So, Jaune, what do you want to do when you grow up?" Pyrrha asked him after her rock made a small splash._

 _"There's only one thing I want to do and that's to become a Huntsman," he answered as he tossed a pebble. "My oldest sister Blanche became a Huntress a couple years back, and I've always wanted to be like the heroes in the stories."_

 _"Me too. My mom is a Huntress and she says I have what it takes." She tossed another rock and went to Jaune, where she took his hand. "Hey, how about we both promise to become Huntsmen one day, hm? We'll both stay friends, we'll go to the same academy, and we'll be partners, okay?" Jaune gave his word, to which Pyrrha extended her pinkie finger. "Pinkie promises." Jaune chuckled and wrapped his pinkie finger around hers._

 _"No matter what, we'll both become like the heroes of the old stories, okay?" Jaune told her. "We will become Huntsmen together. That's a promise. So, what should we call ourselves?"_

 _"I dunno, maybe something cool. Something people will remember for years and recognize straight away." Pyrrha grabbed another rock and tossed it into the water._

 _"How about…Team Arkos. You know, like our last names put together."_

 _"Arkos…that sounds like a wonderful name, Jaune!" Pyrrha smiled._

 _"Then that's what we'll be! We'll be Team Arkos, the greatest Huntsmen of all time!" Jaune threw his fist into the air with a whoop while Pyrrha giggled._

 _"Hey, Jaune, mind if I do something?" she asked him._

 _"Hm? What is it?" Jaune curiously asked._

Pyrrha crept close to him. "This," she answered before planting her lips on his cheek. She maintained her kiss for a few seconds upon Jaune's blushing cheek before pulling off with a "mwah" sound and a giggle. "A kiss for one of the greatest Huntsmen yet to come." Both of them blushed a deep red, but they quickly broke into fits of laughter before they went back to swimming.

"I remember the promise we made back then," Jaune said aloud. "I guess we upheld that promise, didn't we? We both went to Beacon together and we became partners."

 _"And we became Team Arkos together,"_ Pyrrha remarked. _"We will always be Team Arkos so long as I'm here with you."_

Jaune placed his hand over his heart. He could feel Pyrrha's soul radiate within his own. "Thank you, Pyrrha."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Later that day, Jaune and the other Huntsmen gathered the citizens of Shion together and explained the situation, asking any and all citizens willing to fight the Grimm alongside them when they come. "I know that this is a lot to ask of you, given that the Huntsmen are meant to be your protectors, but the Grimm that is coming is a fearsome creature the likes that hasn't been seen in ages. We alone are not enough to fight this Grimm and whatever else it brings with it. We need your help. A man with a weapon in hand is better than a man cowering in fear. We need anyone with previous combat expertise or anyone willing to fight," Jaune addressed everyone. The citizens muttered amongst themselves, some already showing fear and distress at the notion that the Huntsmen will not be enough against the Grimm. Soon, a number of men and some women stepped forward with the desire to fight. Others soon joined after seeing their fellow neighbors step forward. Within time, nearly half of Shion declared their intent to fight. "Thank you, everyone. We will start teaching you how to use swords and spears and have the blacksmiths start mass-producing them for you."

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Pandora spear-headed the training of the citizens with a few other Huntsmen while Jaune set up strategies for holding off the Grimm. "The one leading the Grimm will appear like a large man in armor riding a black horse. No matter what, no one must approach this Grimm, else you will surely die. Only I can kill it." No one questioned Jaune's decision on the Black Grimm Knight, as the rumors from Ren and Nora sufficed for them.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Two days passed and while all of Shion was ready, no Grimm came. Some even began to believe the Black Grimm Knight passed their cozy town, but Jaune knew that the creature was coming. Aziela's eyes, via a convocation of eagles, caught sight of the Black Grimm Knight with a group of Beowolves behind it less than a day away. Night soon swept over the land and the Grimm were soon near. "They are coming!" Jaune warned everyone on the Shion wall as the citizens hid among the nearby trees. Ren and Nora hid with one group of citizens while Pandora was with the other. The ones who chose not to fight had taken refuge in underground cellars, safe rooms, and the like within their homes and buildings. The Maidens stood alongside Jaune, ready to defend the gates from any Grimm, for the safety and protection of Shion was top priority.

Jaune leapt off the wall in front of the gates of Shion and walked out onto the grass, where he saw the Grimm appear over the hills. "Aziela, the battle has begun. Give us strength and fill our spirits so we will see the next day! Give me the power I need to vanquish these Grimm!"

 _"Your prayers have been answered, my Paladin,"_ spoke Aziela.

Jaune's body glowed with a brilliant light, as did the fighting citizens and Huntsmen. The citizens found themselves devoid of the fear they once had and the Huntsmen felt themselves brewing with new strength. Jaune stretched a hand out at his side and his Polarity caused his sword to fly into his hand while he drew his shield. With the Grimm approaching, the blade glowed with a soft light.

 _"We'll fight together in this battle, Jaune! Focus on your foes in front and I shall watch your back!"_ Pyrrha declared.

Jaune waited for the Grimm to draw closer. "Hold your fire!" Jaune shouted to the Huntsmen stationed at the mounted guns.

"But they're drawing closer, sir!" cried one of them.

"Hold your fire until I attack!" Jaune stepped forward again and raised his sword towards the sky. "Lady Aziela, imbue this blade in the fires of Soleila!" At once, Crocea Mors exploded with a brilliant fire that cascaded the entire blade. "Now, vanish, creatures of Sheena!" Jaune swung his blade horizontally, and a huge disc of bright Draíochta burst from the blade and flew for the Grimm. The Black Grimm Knight's steed was the first to be cut down, sending the Knight sprawling into the dirt while a number of Beowolves was eviscerated by the beam. The Black Grimm Knight grabbed its lance and charged forward, its red eyes gleaming upon Jaune. FIRE!" Jaune commanded. The Huntsmen on the wall opened fire with their machine guns, shredding into the Beowolves, though any gunfire harmlessly bounced off the Black Grimm Knight.

"Paladin…Grrrr…" the Black Grimm Knight growled.

"HUNTSMEN! NOW!" At once, the Huntsmen, including the Maidens, leapt from the wall and engaged the Grimm in combat, ensuring that the monsters do not break through Shion's walls. "PEOPLE OF SHION! NOW!" At his command, the citizens of Shion burst from the dense trees surrounding the town and flanked the Grimm from the sides and rear. With their numbers and the surprise attack, the Beowolves quickly fell, leaving only the Black Grimm Knight left standing.

 _"It's your turn, Jaune! Only you can destroy the Black Grimm Knight now!"_ Pyrrha warned him.

"Aziela, grant me a barrier around myself and my foe!" Jaune's body glowed again, and a white barrier burst from his body and pushed outward, forcing any Huntsmen or citizen backwards, leaving only Jaune and the Black Grimm Knight within the walls.

"JAUNE! JAUNE!" Ren yelled, banging his fist upon the barrier.

"Trust me, Ren, this is how it must be! Trust in my power!" Jaune told him.

"Dànsling…!" roared the Black Grimm Knight.

"I am your enemy, Grimm! I will end the terrors you've brought to Mistral today!" Jaune declared. He activated his Aura Armor. The Black Grimm Knight lunged forward with its lance, striking Jaune directly, who blocked with his shield and forcing the lance back with his polarity. The Black Grimm Knight swung its lance overhead onto Jaune, who rolled to the side and slashed at its armored knees, which did little damage. The Black Grimm Knight lunged its spear for his head, but Jaune avoided this and brought his sword down onto the spear's shaft, breaking it off completely. The Black Grimm Knight let out a ferocious roar and drew its greatsword from its back.

"Aziela, give me the solar fires of Soleila!" Jaune shouted, where Crocea Mors burst into flames again. The two swords met together, echoing a loud CLANG across the battlefield. Jaune bashed the greatsword aside with his shield and drew closer to the Black Grimm Knight. "It's time to end this!" he spat upon his foe before slapping his sword to the Knight's chest and sliding it, incinerating the armor in it's path and making the Black Grimm Knight screech in pain. Jaune quickly sheathed his weapon and brought it out in its bastard sword form, still burning with the fires of the sun. He spun and swung the mighty blade down onto the Black Grimm's knight sword arm, where it slid in between the armor joints and cleaving the arm off from its shoulder socket. The arm and sword fell to the ground in a splatter of black blood while the Grimm roared in agony. Jaune quickly plunged his sword into one of its knees, forcing it down with its head at his level. "JAUNE! WAIT!" Ren cried out. Jaune spun towards his friend. He saw Ren pressed against the barrier's wall, desperate to enter. Jaune dropped the barrier and Ren ran to his side. With one hand extended outward, Jaune understood what Ren wanted; he returned Crocea Mors to its broadsword form and handed the burning blade to Ren.

"This is for my family, you son of a bitch!" Ren growled before swinging the blade into the Black Grimm Knight's head, silencing it forever. The creature disappeared into black ash before it could hit the ground.

Jaune sheathed his sword, which returned to normal. The battlefield fell silent, the only sounds being the crunching of grass underneath feet. Everyone was stunned seeing the power Jaune wielded and none could speak. One young man––the same one Jaune spoke to in the tavern days earlier––approached Jaune. "Wh-Who are you, really?" he stuttered.

"I am Jaune Arc, the Dànsling, Paladin of Aziela, and the Arc Knight!" Jaune proudly proclaimed. Everyone looked upon their hero curiously and confused.

"Hooray for Jaune Arc!" shouted one citizen, pumping his spear in the air. "Thanks to him, Shion is safe and the Grimm are defeated! Hip-hip-hooray!"

"Hip-hip-hooray!"

"Hooray for the Paladin!"

"He's like the Paladins from the stories!"

"Hip-hip-hooray! Hooray for Jaune Arc!"

"He's our hero!"

"Hooray for the Arc Knight!

Nora, Pandora, and the Maidens stood among the cheering citizens, all of them content with their victory, but Ren watched Jaune with curious eyes as the leader of JNPR accepted the love and praise from the people. Just mere minutes ago, Ren watched Jaune fight the creature that haunted his life and Nora's. The creature that destroyed Kuroyuri and murdered Ren's parents, orphaning him in but one night. The creature that nearly killed both him and Nora as if they were mere bugs for it to squish while Jaune fought it off alone and killed it. _This is the power Jaune wields now. He is unlike any warrior I've seen before,_ thought Ren.

Once everyone had calmed down from the high of their victory, they had to tend to their dead: six dead citizens of Shion, each with something torn out or impaled by sharp claws. "It would be best if we gather the dead inside the walls and bury them tomorrow, once we have rested," Jaune advised. With how late it was, no one was willing to argue for the desire to bury their fallen friends sooner than later. Everyone gathered their dead and herded back into the walls, where everyone hiding came out to praise their victorious heroes.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

While Shion has a small church run by a young priestess, it is a church dedicated to the Nature Mother Iris for the beautiful forests and lakes surrounding the town. Iris accepts the dead, as do all the Gods, but it is common tradition that those who die in battle be given to Aziela, who sends them Above as heroes for their bravery and self-sacrifice, and the same holds true for the six who died the previous night. In Shion, they bury the deceased within a small, fenced-in graveyard settled inside one of the nearby forests. It is common practice that with Iris funerals, the dead are not buried within coffins so the deceased can be absorbed directly into the earth itself after decomposition.

Shion's mayor, a select number of citizens, Team JNPR, and the Iris priestess attended the funeral ceremony within their graveyard. The six deceased citizens were buried within the earth and the priestess scattered handfuls of dirt and poured river water upon them. "Iris, Mother Nature, we send these departed to you. Take their bodies into the earth and let them become one with you. As we are born from dust, we return to the earth and become dust again," the priestess prayed as she moved among the six. Once she had finished, she stepped away and allowed Jaune to approach. Jaune was wearing his clothes, minus his armor, and had his sword at his hip.

"Lady Aziela, as your chosen Paladin, let it be known that these six died in battle defending their town and their loved ones from Sheena and the Grimm," Jaune began. "Take their souls and accept them Above, where they may live eternally as heroes of Remnant." Jaune drew his sword and planted it into the ground. "Let us have a moment of silence for our fallen heroes." Everyone kneeled to pray for a minute before rising again.

Without saying a word, Jaune and his friends took their leave, leaving the citizens to continue mourning their losses. Before they could go far, Jaune felt someone tug on his pants' leg, which happened to be a young boy holding a red spider lily in his hands. "Mister Arc Knight, will you take this as thanks for all you've done?" he asked, extending the flower to him. Jaune took it and tucked it into his coat's breast pocket.

"It's lovely, thank you." Jaune smiled at the young boy, which made him happy. The young boy watched the heroes of Shion return within the walls, where they boarded the small transport airship, where they headed off to Vale, where Jaune would meet with Blanche and the Holy Spear.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **Two Days Later**

The reunited Team JNPR and the Maidens made their way to the Town of Helten, where Jaune met with Nova, who gave the team horses and provisions for the journey. "Head south towards the ocean. Deep within the forests of southern Vale, you can find the fortress to your Holy Spear," Nova instructed. Jaune gave his thanks and they headed south.

It took them nearly a day to reach the southern forests, and from there, they found themselves lost in a maze of trees. While Jaune wished they would find the fortress before nightfall, he knew it would be better to set up camp for the night. They rolled out their sleeping bags and Pandora gathered some wood for a fire, which she started with a fire Dust crystal and some flint. They cooked some dried meat over the fire and spent some time chatting with each other.

"Geez, now I've got three kids to take care of," Pandora jokingly remarked after hearing about Team JNPR's old antics back at Beacon. "Look, I know we're not related to each other, but I'll look after you three like a mother would. That's a promise."

"Yay! I got a new mommy!" Nora whooped. "So, you're going to be the new team mom, huh?"

Ren sat silently as he twirled his father's dagger in between his fingers. His mind was replaying the events that happened at Shion, most notably how Jaune fought the Black Grimm Knight with such ease, but Ren himself felt somewhat disappointed that he could not defeat the Black Grimm Knight on his own, having to rely upon his best friend to do the heavy work for him, and yet he felt relieved that the nightmare was finally over after so many years.

That night, after they have gone to bed, Ren lied awake staring up at the starry sky lost in his thoughts. "Ren, you awake?" came Nora's voice. Nora scooted over to his bedside while still inside her sleeping bag and curled up to him. She extended her hand and he took it. "You okay?"

"I'm alright," he said. He rolled over to face her. "The last several days have been wild, haven't they?"

"You betcha they have, but best of all, we got Jaune back."

"Yeah, that we did."

"It's so cool that Jaune's gotten stronger since we last saw him. I can barely believe that he's a Paladin from the bedtime stories, and that they exist."

Ren pulled Nora on top of his own body, making her blush. "We owe him and his power though. We'd be dead if he didn't show up when he did."

Nora glanced backwards towards Jaune'd bed roll, where he was sound asleep on his side with a smile upon his face. "So Pyrrha's soul is merged with his own…I bet he's dreaming about Pyrrha…"

"He looks so serene in his sleep though, so he must be having a good dream," Ren remarked before he pulled her close, making her blush. Ren gave his childhood friend a smile and slowly drifted to sleep. Nora rested her head against Ren's chest and slowly slipped to sleep.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Next Day**

When everyone awoke, they found a visitor among them: Blanche Arc, who sat against a tree waiting for them to awaken. "Welcome back to Vale, Jaune," Blanche remarked once Jaune gathered his bearings. Once everyone mounted their horses, Blanche lead them through the forest, where they came upon an ancient, but sturdy black fortress. The front gates were closed, but upon approaching them, a random voice announced Blanche's presence and the iron gates swung open.

Inside, everyone marveled upon the ancient architecture which has withstood the test of time, however long ago that was. "Welcome to the Château de la Sainte Lance from during the Great War's time. This was the original fortress that Jaundice Arc lived in where he commanded the original knights of the Holy Spear," Blanche explained as Team JNPR and the Maidens observed the people around them, whom did not exhibit any form of a knight as Jaune had imagined. Blanche noticed the confusion on his face.

"Jaune, I regret to inform you that in our search to gather the remnants of the knights, many of their descendants have abandoned their families' heritage and deviated from those lives. Many of them who've stayed the course have been killed; we believed this to be Cinder Fall's handiwork, but we managed to find three descendants still alive and they joined us," Blanche notified him. "As for the men and women you see here in the courtyard, most of them are just ordinary people who followed us from their small towns when we gave them the option to join us. Some are minor thieves who claim they're looking for a better life, but we're keeping an eye on those ones. Others are Lawful mercenaries and sellswords who've sworn loyalty, so long as we pay them, which we are."

 _"Well, that sounds disappointing. Not what I was expecting given the stories of the Holy Spear,"_ Pyrrha interjected.

"Yeah, I feel the same," quipped Jaune, who drooped in stature.

"Is this the one we are to call our Lord Commander?" said a voice nearby. A broad man clad in steel armor stood by with a sword made of diamond in his hand. He gave Jaune a puzzling look after he approached him. "He is young to be the Dànsling, practically a pup. Jaune was ready to give the man a piece of his mind when Blanche stepped between them.

"Maximilian Diamont, you will show Jaune Arc proper respect!" Blanche warned him. "He may be young, but he is the one Aziela chose to be her Dànsling." Maximilian gave a huff and walked off. "Maximilian is one of the few remaining descendants of the Holy Spear."

"He looks like a good ally, nonetheless," Pandora added.

As they strolled through the courtyard towards the fortress doors, Jaune caught sight of a young man dressed in a tunic whacking a practice dummy with a beautifully customized katana. Jaune watched the man effortlessly draw, strike, and quickly sheath his blade before repeating the process. He noticed how the man would even raise the scabbed upward, mimicking a blocking motion with it. He finished up and wiped the sweat from his forehead; he spotted Jaune looking at him, but he did nothing, choosing to watch Jaune until the blond moved on.

"That's Thorn, another descendant," Blanche informed him.

"He looks tough! I like him already!" Nora remarked.

"Thorn refuses to talk to anyone around here, myself included. "He said little when we first found him in his hometown near Mistral, but he joined us, though he said it was to leave his family for good." Blanche lead the group inside, where they were treated to a brightly-lit great hall lined with wooden tables and at the very back was a long table with six seats, one of which was larger and more pristine. "This is the great hall, where we hope to conduct meetings, have meals, the works. We've got plenty of rooms to house our knights and for you eight as well." Team JNPR marveled upon the interior, which was outfitted with modern day technology, such as fully-powered lamps and such. "We had to have electricians, plumbers, all those sort to come in to bring this dusty old place to the modern world, but it pays off instead of having to light candles and fireplaces for light and warmth."

"It has a nice, tranquil appearance to it," Ren complimented.

"JAUNE!" cried a woman's voice from nearby. Jaune stung around and two women jumped onto him in tight hugs. It was his sisters Bleu and Noire. Nearby, his Uncle Gris stood nearby watching the reunited family. "IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!" Bleu wailed while Noire sobbed into his shoulders. Jaune returned the hugs, but he was soon reluctant to continue the hugging as he wished to see his own quarters, so Blanche escorted Team JNPR and the Maidens to their own personal quarters, though they soon discovered that Jaune's was the biggest of them, large enough for at least two or three people to live in. The Maidens insisted on wandering the fortress and its exterior.

Jaune himself stripped himself of his sword and armor and sat down upon the king-sized bed, where he took a deep breath. _"Sorry I didn't say anything earlier. Granted, I didn't really know what to say given all we saw,"_ Pyrrha remarked from out of the blue.

"Nah, it's fine. While the Holy Spear isn't anything like I imagined it would be, we have ourselves a difficult task ahead of training the new recruits and fortifying them into proper warriors," voiced Jaune.

 _"Still, I'm surprised your sister Blanche hired mercenaries and even thieves into this. That's risky."_

"What else was she to do? We'll need as many knights as we can get, and for now, I'll have to focus all my efforts in helping them, first and foremost."

 _"I understand, but be careful around those thieves and mercenaries. Lawfuls or not, money will be their primary concern."_

"Thanks for the tip, Pyrrha." Jaune lied down onto his back, staring up at the stone ceiling. "Hey, Pyrrha, I just want to say thanks for all you've done for me."

 _"Jaune, you know you don't have to say that. I'm more than happy to serve you, just as I'm supposed to."_

"I know, but it's not just about you being my Guardian though, it's about you being my best friend, and I just want you to know that I love you, I really do." Jaune rolled over onto his side and let out a yawn.

 _"I love you too, and don't worry, I'll help you out as much as I can, both as your friend and as your Guardian."_ Jaune smiled and got himself comfortable, where he soon fell asleep and drifted off to the dreamworld to meet Pyrrha once again.

Sometime while he slept, Pandora entered his room and found him asleep. She let slip a smile and proceeded to scoop him up and put him under the blankets. She brushed at his hair and kissed his forehead. "Rest easy, Jaune. You too, Pyrrha. We've got a lot of work ahead for ourselves tomorrow," she whispered before taking her leave.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

 **The Schnee Dust Company, Atlas**

It was midday for Weiss Schnee, the head of her family's company, and even with the day half over, she still had a long list of tasks to do. "Ugh, summers are the worst for me," she moaned before sipping some hot coffee at her desk. She typed some keys on her holocomp and a picture of a middle-aged man with dark skin and hair appeared. "Mister Coal, how is business treating you in the capital city?" Weiss asked him.

"So far pretty good. The _Dust & Coal _stores are bringing in plenty of profits. I'll be sending you the reports by the end of the day," Sable Coal answered with a grin. Weiss thanked him for the report and ended the video call. Weiss lounged back in her comfy chair and let out a sigh.

At that moment, her holocomp buzzed with an email from her butler Klein. Upon opening it, Weiss discovered a newspaper article on the Town of Shion located outside of Mistral. Upon reading it, she was perplexed upon its subject concerning a "Black Grimm Knight," as the locals called it. She continued reading and discovered several eyewitness statements that a man named "the Arc Knight" defeated the creature and saved the town. Weiss knew straight away that this knight had to be Jaune. "Looks like you've been making a good name for yourself, Jaune," Weiss said to herself, smiling at Jaune's accomplishments. She glanced over at a picture frame on her desk, which showed her smiling family, except for her father, Jacque, who's own figure was scratched out with a black marker. "I've just been here at home taking care of the company while you and everyone else has become Huntsmen and Huntresses, protecting the world, and fighting Grimm…"

Weiss grabbed her coffee mug and went towards the giant windows of her office that overlook the SDC Dust factories. "…It's my turn to make a difference, and I'll do it here." She took a long sip. "I hope we'll see each other again soon. I want you to see the kind of woman I've become, Jaune. I want everyone to see that Weiss Schnee is not the stuck-up princess from Beacon.

 **Next Chapter: ****The Paladin That Flies on Black Wings**


	10. The Paladin That Flies on Black Wings

**Chapter 10: The Paladin That Flies on Black Wings**

 _Ashtul molded steel from the black rocks of Below Realm known as 'Thíosio,' and from it, he forged a mighty claymore from it, which it was named Tenebris, a name meaning "redemption," and fitting so, for every man who became Ashtul's Paladin was one originally destined for damnation until the role of the Bhàisling changed their lives forever. With the power of darkness, the Bhàisling would become a terrifying monster to both evil men and Grimm to fear._

 _–– "_ _The Tale of the Bhàisling," The Remnant Codex._

 **March 7th 1584**

 **The Mistral Wilds**

One can forget how dangerous the world of Remnant can be when you are walking alone in a forest, the only sounds you hear being the crunching of grass and dirt under your boots, the trees singing as the wind blows through them, and the chirping of birds. All of it creates a sense of tranquility that dulls the senses. Until you hear the low growl of a beast in the bush.

A lone Beowolf hid as a hooded man clad in black walked down the paved path towards the town of Higanbana. The Beowolf has used the crossroads as a perfect location to attack lone wanderers, and while the claymore on the back of this lone wanderer was large, it knew he could not draw it in time if it caught him by surprise. The lone wanderer stopped at a fork in the road, gazed upon the sign pointing towards Higanbana, and headed in its direction. That is when the Beowolf chose to strike, rushing from its spot for the wanderer at high speed.

The Beowolf was already upon him when the wanderer realized what danger he was in, the beast leaping upon him to gnaw at his throat until a veil of black energy formed between the two and exploding, sending the Beowolf skidding across the ground. The beast picked itself back up and the wanderer had his claymore, carved out of black steel, in his hands. The Beowolf let out a roar and charged again, but as it drew close, the claymore glided through the air and cleaved the Beowolf into two, sending both halves to the ground in a shower of black blood before they vanished into nothing. The wanderer flicked the blood off of his blade before sheathing it in the guard holder upon his back, wherein he gathered his sack and continued his journey.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

To say the town of Higanbana was cozy was an understatement. Well known for its hospitality and kind residents, Higanbana served as an excellent location for people to live in or shortly visit to get away from the bustling streets of Mistral. The hooded traveler from the road arrived before nightfall, and his appearance earned the attention of the residents and even some travelers.

His entire body was clad in sturdy black armor that covered most of his body, aside from the space of his joints and upper thighs, with gold lining the edges of each piece. A large golden cardinal was painted across his chest, serving as his emblem. Clanging against his burlap sack of who-knows-what was the large ebony claymore hanging onto his back and at his hips were an ebony mace. The blade bore the same golden cardinal at its base near the crossguard. To say he was unordinary was an understatement itself.

The hooded traveler made his way for the small house that belonged to the chieftess, Pitta, and along the way, he amassed a group that followed after him, curious as to what his intentions were. He knocked upon the wooden door and Pitta, a dark-skinned Ram Faunus with a pair of ram horns protruding from her head, answered. "I've come to take care of your Grimm problem," the traveler simply answered.

"You must be from the Huntsman agency at Mistral," Pitta remarked. "Well, we've had a few travelers disappear, though we've never had any Grimm attack Higanbana before. I suppose the Grimm must not be that dangerous if the agency sent only you." While any attack by Grimm is a dangerous affair, most towns outside of the kingdoms tend to just request for Huntsmen to come help while they set up basic standard protection measures.

"I'm not from the agency, but I did see your report, and I can tell you, this Grimm is more dangerous than you can imagine; likely a class S danger level." Pitta dared not ask how he would know.

"Um, when can I expect you to accomplish the job?" she was nervous, already feeling intimidated by this man, who seemed to emit a dark aura about him.

"I'll go looking for the beast tomorrow morning, when it will be asleep after spending the night hunting prey. If I don't return by sundown, you can expect me to have failed, then you can submit another report warning about its danger level and to send more experienced Huntsmen,." Pitta shivered on the spot, but the traveler broke the tension by asking for the local inn, which Pitta pointed him to.

"Wait, what is your name?" the chieftess called to him before he could walk too far.

The traveler threw down his hood, revealing a face bearing blue eyes and a long scar running down his left cheek from eye to chin. "Name's Cardin Winchester, the Bhàisling."

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Cardin sat in his room alone with a blanket wrapped around himself while he sat staring out the window at the cozy town, now devoid of life. After his arrival, Pitta made an announcement to the town about the Grimm, which was already causing trouble for them for the past few days, and since then, the people have grown fearful of what is to come, some even blaming Cardin for the widespread fear. Cardin himself knew that if this fear continued, that Grimm would only be drawn to the town, something he cannot allow, despite the benefit of it.

 _"_ _Your Draíochta differs from your fellow Paladins. Yours is darkness itself, much like what the Dark Paladins wield, and with it, you are able to draw more power from the fear and negativity of people, much like the Grimm, though your power will not weaken in the face of positivity," Pecado Moonlight once instructed him._

Cardin let out a long sigh and a grumble before heading for bed.

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"Couldn't we have waited until morning to finish the delivery?" whined an exhausted Ao as she scrapped her feet along besides the horse-drawn cart carrying a wealth of items.

"If we get to Higanbana by morning, then we can spend the entire day relaxing before our next delivery job," argued Bud, who lead the horse by its reins with a powerful flashlight illuminating the path ahead.

"That's fine and all, but can't we at least ride in the cart instead of walking?"

"I'd rather we stay vigilant rather than relax and possibly get distracted."

Ao gave him a narrow glare. "I hate it when you're so dutiful to your job."

Bud let out a chuckle and pressed on. Soon enough, they came upon the fork in the road with the Higanbana sign pointing to the correct direction. "Just a few more miles and we'll be done," he notified Ao, which made her sigh in relief.

Suddenly, the horse let out a terrifying neigh and flew up onto its hind legs. Bud raced to the beast and petted it to calm it down. "Easy, girl! There's nothing to worry about!" he assured his steed, but the horse continued bellowing and acting crazy.

"What has gotten her all rattled up!?" Ao cried.

"I dunno! She just started acting up and––!" Bud answered, but his voice disappeared when he spotted a group of red eyes glowing behind some trees off the path. "Grab the rifles from the cart! NOW!" he warned Ao, who obeyed, handing him a bolt-action rifle. The horse continued acting crazy, but it suddenly became the least of their worries when they found themselves surrounded by rows of glowing red eyes. The horse neighed again and sped off into the darkness, but its neighs soon turned to agonizing screams as a number of red eyes descended upon it, and the screams vanished.

"Fire away!" Bud screamed as he unloaded his gun into the darkness, the flashlight falling to the dirt road. Screeches emitted from the darkness as some creatures recoiled upon being hit. A couple creatures jumped upon Bud from behind, sending him to the ground, his rifle falling from his grasp.

"Bud! BUD!" Ao screamed as she trained her gun to the creatures atop her friend, one of which she managed to shoot off.

"RUN! JUST GET OUT OF HERE!" Bud demand before a large pointed leg pierced down upon his head, silencing him forever.

Ao grabbed the flashlight off the ground and dashed into a bit of the darkness void of red eyes. She ran as fast as her legs would take her with the tiny light illuminating her path away from the horrifying carnage behind her. She took a quick look behind her and saw nothing following her, where she stopped to catch her breath.

Suddenly, Ao's feet gave out and she slammed into the earth, her rifle and flashlight sprawling across the dirt. Her feet became entangled in a white, sticky substance. She yelled and tore at her captured feet, but it proved futile. The flashlight ceased its rolling, where its ray of light shone in the direction of Ao's attacker, and what she saw made her lips purse open in an ear-piercing scream before she was suddenly dragged into the darkness.

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 _"_ _It's been a long time, hasn't it?" Cardin crossed his arms as he towered over Velvet, though her Guardian Yatsuhashi was taller than them both._

 _"_ _That it has. It's been, what, a few years now?" the Rabbit Faunus asked him._

 _"You've grown a bit since I last saw you."_

 _"_ _You've grown a lot though, and in more ways than one." she giggled._

 _"_ _You really think so?"_

 _"_ _Back at Beacon, you were just a bully who pushed everyone around, and now I see a formidable Paladin ready to defend Remnant." She gave him a comforting smile, one that warmed his heart._

 _"_ _I may not know you well, Cardin Winchester, but I can tell you have changed since our days at Beacon," Yatsuhashi remarked._

 _Velvet took Cardin's hand in hers, where she placed a necklace in it of a small rabbit's foot made of a metallic yellow. "It's something I picked up at Menagerie while I was training. I think you should have it, both for good luck and to remember me as your friend. Always remember that you have friends now, here and everywhere."_

 _"_ _Something we learned from the local Faunus on Menagerie," Yatsuhashi added._

 _"_ _Don't worry, I won't forget. Thank you, Velvet, really."_

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Cardin awoke to the sun shining through his windows. He reflexively shielded his eyes and got out of bed, the golden rabbit's foot tapping against his chest on its gold chain. "I might as well clear the area of Grimm while I track down that Tsuchigomu," he yawned with a stretch. He took a minute to stare out the window at the streets of Higanbana now painted in the morning light. "Knowing this Grimm, I'll have plenty of time to hunt down its lair…maybe I should do some hunting around the surrounding area…"

 _"_ _How powerful is the Bhàisling?" Cardin asked Pecado as he hoisted the mighty Tenebris into his hands._

"It depends. While we don't possess the holy powers the Dànsling has that the Grimm fear, we can channel our dark Draíochta to augment our strength and abilities, of which we have plenty of our own to utilize," Pecado explained. "Our defining power allows us to brutally destroy our foes on the battlefield and tear them apart with our own hands, if need be."

 _Cardin formed a swirling mass of darkness within his hand. It really isn't that much different from Velvet's or Jaune's, other than its color and the aura it gives off, he thought._

Cardin dressed in his clothes and armor, slung the giant Tenebris into its strap, and headed out with his iron helm in hand. Like the day before, he attracted a crowd of curious townsfolk, one of which was Pitta. "I'll be clearing the area of Grimm during my search for the Tsuchigomu," Cardin told her.

"A Tsuchi–what?" she questioned. Cardin gave her no response and headed out of town, where the crowd stayed behind. He disappeared into the trees without hesitation.

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Cardin allowed his Draíochta to radiate out, and with it being darkness, he quickly became like a bonfire to attract moths, and the Grimm in the area found their attention diverted towards the Paladin.

"Heh…here they come…" Cardin grinned as he lead the Grimm away from the cozy town. "…You guys fucked up thinking I was an ordinary man…" His hand fastened around Tenebris as his cloak trailed behind him.

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The battle ended quickly, with the ground and trees caked in black Grimm blood. Cardin flicked the blood off of his blade and let out a victorious yell. Nearby, a figure cloaked in black that was spying on him since he left Higanbana dashed off, where they hopped upon a black horse and sped off. Cardin sensed the figure's negative energy and recognized it as a Grimm Ranger, but chose to leave it be since it was smart enough to avoid him.

The figure raced its steed through the forest, its hooded cloak trailing behind it. The soon burst out of the trees far away from Cardin's location, where it met up with another figure and another rider, this one garbed in Grimm skeletal armor and a matching hood. "What news do you bring?" hissed the hooded one, who's voice was feminine.

"The Bhàisling has begun his search for the Tsuchigomu. He recently killed a large group of Grimm that was unable to resist the pull of his dark Draíochta," the figure reported.

"We had those Grimm deployed there to attack Higanbana once the Tsuchigomu's young were ready to leave the nest," muttered the other figure, clearly displeased at the event that had transpired.

"It matters not," went the leader. "So long as the Tsuchigomu's young grow large and strong, they shall be enough to level Higanbana to the ground and attack nearby towns before the Huntsmen could properly stage a counterattack."

"And what of the Bhàisling? Surely the Tsuchigomu cannot defeat him on its own."

The leader slipped a toothy grin from under her hood. "The Tsuchigomu has a power that will surely make the Bhàisling hesitate. That is when it will strike and kill him. Once he becomes food for its young, we shall begin the attack on Higanbana…but first, we need to pressure him to locate the Tsuchigomu faster…we shall go to Higanbana tonight while the Bhàisling is still searching for the den."

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Night fell across the sky in Higanbana, but Cardin has not returned yet. Pitta remembered his warning to submit a report to the Huntsmen agency should he not return, but she hesitated, not wanting to jump the gun too quickly. After he mentioned that the Grimm is a Tsuchigomu, she consorted her Grimm Monster Manual and discovered an entry on the creature, discovering what sort of creature he would be dealing with, and the entry terrified her. _Does he even stand a chance against something like this, especially at a class S danger level?_ she wondered.

Elsewhere, those that still wandered the streets returned to their homes, the danger of the Tsuchigomu forcing them to avoid nightfall like a plague. In one particular house, a young girl named Liv was being put to bed early by her mother. "I've told you before. With that dangerous Tsuchigomu Grimm around, no one is allowed out at night," her mother answered. She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before turning the lamp off and heading downstairs. Liv let out a long yawn before pulling the covers over herself and drifting to sleep.

Liv would later awaken with a startle at the sound of a crashing sound downstairs. She remained still in bed, thinking it was only a dream, but then there was another crash, followed by some scuffing of furniture, then something that sounded like her father crying. That's when she dove out of bed and crawled under it, her body shivering with fear. "PLEASE! NO!" went her mother's voice before it was suddenly silenced. Liv curled into a ball and held her mouth shut, trying to hide her whimpers. Thumping sounds soon approached her bedroom and the door creaked open. From under the blankets' edges, she could see a pair of high-heel boots walk into view before legs crouched down and the blankets were lifted. "Come on out, child, it's okay," said a voice.

Liv was hesitant, but she crawled out, where she was met with a tall young woman clad in armor resembling a Grimm's skeletal pattern and a matching hood, whom was quick to scoop her under her arm with her crying and flailing. The cloaked figure headed down the stairs, and Liv fell silent when she saw her parent's dead bodies in the kitchen with splatters of blood upon the furniture and floor, her face contorted in shock and tears as her capturer was met with the other figures from the forest.

"General Pyrrha, the Bhàisling is bound to return here soon, we can sense his dark presence. What shall we do?" one of them asked the cloaked figure.

"Stay here and ambush the Bhàisling. If you are able to kill him, good, but if he captures you, ensure he knows this child will be fed to the Tsuchigomu." With that, she took off on her horse with Liv screaming for help, cueing several nearby houses to light up, their occupants having heard the noises, but by then, General Pyrrha was far gone.

The figures all drew swords and hid on top of its roof, waiting for the Bhàisling to arrive. Soon, citizens began appearing and found the state of the house, wherein they recoiled in horror. Pitta soon arrived, where she tried to calm everyone down, assuring them that she will speak to Cardin Winchester when she sees him. "Where is he!? Shouldn't he be protecting us from the Grimm!?" cried one person, collectively earning several surrounding agreements.

"I'm right here…" came Cardin's voice. The crowd parted to allow him through, where several noticed that his armor and clothes had black blood stained onto them. "Sorry I was gone so long, I got lost in the forest, plus some Grimm kept bugging me." Pitta and the civilians were unsure what to make of his appearance, but Pitta herself showed Cardin the scene.

"Their wounds look like sword wounds, but who could've done this? Why?" she asked of him, desperate for an answer. Cardin went in and inspected the bodies, where he detected traces of dark Draíochta in the wounds. _Figures it'd be Grimm Rangers, but what are they doing here?_ He let out a sign and whispered a prayer to Ashtul, praying that their souls weighed towards Above. He took a look upstairs, where he found Liv's empty bedroom, then went back down to meet with Pitta. "There's only two bodies, but there's three beds," he notified her. "It seems the Grimm Rangers kidnaped the child for a reason."

"Grimm what?" Pitta questioned.

"Picture a human but with the qualities of a Grimm. Fangs, red eyes, black skin, claws, but these also wear clothes, usually black, and any armor they wear always carries the skeletal pattern normal Grimm have. They do not operate upon instinct––least not the Rangers––and their weapons all carry traces of Draíochta upon them." The mere thought sent shivers through Pitta's body.

That was when the Grimm Rangers upon the roof attacked, scurrying to the edge and leaping down onto Carding with their blades drawn, but Cardin was ready for them, having already sensed their Dark Draíochta when he arrived. Two sharp, black appendages––one of which bore a demonic face of red eyes and rows of jagged, yellow teeth––manifested from Cardin's body and flew into the air, the non-faced one impaling itself through one of the Grimm Rangers, making it screech in agony, while the other whipped about, knocking the other Grimm Ranger off balance, where it landed onto the grass. The townsfolk all shrieked and took cover. The impaled Ranger slowly bled while Cardin's tentacle held it up in the air. He drew his mace and brought it down onto the other Ranger's leg, shattering its bone instantly, forcing a cry from its lips.

"Talk. Where is the child?" Cardin demanded, his mace pointed at the Grimm Ranger's face and his faced appendage hovering by its master's face, giving the Ranger what could only be interpreted as an evil grin. The impaled Ranger finally went still, where its body vanished into nothing, forcing the appendage to disperse. The Grimm Ranger spat at Cardin, so the Paladin drove the mace into its other leg. "You best talk, because I will hurt you as much as possible before you die."

The Grimm Ranger simply smiled. "The child will be offered to the Tsuchigomu once its young is ready to feed. You should know, they prefer their prey alive, and you've got maybe a day before she becomes its food," it chuckled. Nearby, the townsfolk all began conversing amongst themselves, a number of them began to cry for Liv.

"Thank you." Cardin then drove his mace into the Ranger's face where its entire body vanished. He slung his weapon back to his waist and made his way through the crowd with Pitta following behind him, who all instantly parted the way in fear after seeing his strange power.

"Where are you going?!" she cried at him.

"I'm going to go find that girl before the Tsuchigomu and its young feed on her! She's got only a handful of hours before she's dead!" Cardin warned her without looking at her. "You gotta keep people calm, otherwise Grimm will only be attracted to the negativity!" Cardin exited the town's borders and disappeared into the dark of night, leaving Pitta to try to quell her people.

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A Beowolf was cleaved by half by Tenebris as Cardin resumed his search for Liv. "Damn! Dawn is already here!" Cardin hissed under his breath as the rising sun crept over the dense forest. "That girl's got little time left, but where is that damn Tsuchigomu? I've checked just about every cave and dark cluster of forest I could find…" Cardin cut himself off, having felt a dark presence behind him. He gripped Tenebris tight and swung it around, but the figure behind him leapt into the air, somersaulting entirely over him and landing opposite with its sword drawn. The blade was black as night and jagged, and Cardin could see dark Draíochta leeching off the blade in black wisps.

"That's no ordinary blade infused with Draíochta. You're not some lowly Grimm Ranger, that's for sure," Cardin noted.

"I'm surprised you didn't sense me sooner," the figure told him, her fanged teeth curling into a smile. "Tell me, how is Jaune Arc?"

Cardin was puzzled as to why the figure was asking for his friend. "And what concern is he to you?" _If I'm quick enough, I can arrange my appendages to strike and lure her into a trap for my blade to strike her down._

The figure chuckled. "I imagine it's because he is in love with me." The figure let down her hood, exposing herself to Cardin, who drew in a gasp, his grip loosening on his mighty blade.

While her skin has turned to an ashen grey, her eyes now a soulless black with green lights replacing her iris', and a Grimm mask covered half of her face, Cardin recognized the body of Pyrrha Nikos before him. "…You're dead…" he finally let out.

"You are correct. Pyrrha Nikos died that night at Beacon Tower, but this body was preserved for me, a Grimm Parasite, to serve as my vessel. The girl that was Pyrrha Nikos is gone," the Grimm Pyrrha explained with a toothy grin.

Cardin reseted his grip on his sword. "If there is nothing of Pyrrha within you, then I shall strike you down right here!"

Grimm Pyrrha let loose a chuckle before raising her sword up. Cardin wasted no time, already charging straight for her with a yell. He swung his claymore around, but Grimm Pyrrha ducked under it and flipped backwards back onto her feet. "Your sword is too large to wield effectively and leaves you defenseless!" Grimm Pyrrha warned him as she thrust her blade forward, but Cardin raised his left arm up, deflecting her blade from his face with his gauntlets.

"That's why I carry this!" Cardin shouted, dropping his sword and drawing his mace. He twisted the blade into his hand and brought his mace down onto the blade, shattering it to pieces. Grimm Pyrrha jumped back and stretched out a hand, where a blade of dark Draíochta formed from it, dark wisps dancing off it. "I see you wield dark Draíochta as well." Cardin had his own Draíochta leech off of his body, where a wriggly tentacle lashed out at his fallen claymore, returning it to his hand.

"Do you really wish to waste your time with me when you should be saving the girl?" Grimm Pyrrha grinned. She allowed her blade to vanish, where she then pointed her hand to the south east. "The Tsuchigomu's lair is that way, stored inside a deep cavern. If you hurry, you should reach the beast in time before its young devours the girl."

Cardin knew she was speaking the truth, but there was something else he was thinking of that made him hesitate in wanting to kill her.

 _"_ _So, you're saying that Pyrrha somehow merged her soul with yours and she's still alive in that skull of yours?" Cardin asked him after Jaune explained everything he has been through since the Fall of Vale._

 _"_ _In a nutshell, pretty much. Honestly, I'm just happy that I still have Pyrrha with me, even if she's not really here right now," Jaune said with a smile, but Cardin could detect a hint of sadness in his voice._

 _"_ _I'll be honest as well. I'm glad to see that she's still alive within you as well; when I saw you at Ruby and Yang's house after the battle at Beacon, I could tell you were torn up after Pyrrha died…well, mostly died, if that makes sense…Also, Pyrrha, if you can hear me, I want to say I'm sorry for all the trouble I've given you and Jaune back at Beacon."_

 _Jaune placed two fingers to his left ear and made a slight nod. "Pyrrha heard you, and she says she accepts your apology, and she expresses her gratitude to know that you're on our side in this war."_

 _The two of them sat silently at the table in the fortress enjoying the fruit Jaune's sister, Bleu, brought them. "Tell me, with all that we have learned of this world's truths, is it even possible to resurrect the dead?" Cardin asked him._

 _"_ _I have asked Lady Aziela many times ever since I discovered my connection to Pyrrha, but each and every time, she has told me that in our circumstances, it is impossible. To resurrect the dead is to defy the laws and nature of Remnant, so she says. Sheena has already defied these laws when she resurrected Jaakuna Daichi as one of her Dark Paladins, and even so, Pyrrha's body is needed, and resurrection is only possible if the soul has passed on…" Jaune quickly went for his drink, hoping that the ale would take his mind off the revelation that he cannot bring Pyrrha back. Cardin could tell this was bothering him greatly._

"I won't kill you today, but I will have you know that Jaune still wishes to return Pyrrha Nikos to this world, and once he discovers that you are inhabiting her body, it will only ignite the fire within him. After that happens, you won't be able to stop him." Cardin sheathed his weapons and took off for the Tsuchigomu's lair. Grimm Pyrrha watched him go, suddenly feeling excited at the prospect of one day meeting Jaune Arc and seeing the horror on his face when he meets her.

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Cardin headed in the direction Grimm Pyrrha pointed him to, moving quickly to hopefully save the girl in time. He had already done research into the Tuschigomu with help from Pitta, so he knew about its attack patterns and hunting methods, but he knew he could not anticipate its special power: illusions, as according to folklore, Grimm Tsuchigomu are able to shapeshift to trick and lure would-be prey into its domain. Cardin hopes to not make that same mistake.

Cardin soon found a cave entrance and entered within, all while radiating his dark Draíochta outward, ready for danger. He strode in, his hand tight around his claymore. The light from outside soon faded away, leaving Cardin in the darkness, but his Draíochta augmented his eyesight, giving him night vision.

His eyes scanned the darkness, every rock and wall highlighted in his vision, yet there was nothing that posed a danger. Regardless, Cardin kept his hand on his sword, ready for danger, as he descended further within. Soon, the sound of his feet ceased the clomping sound of rock and soil and turned into a crunching sound. Cardin looked down and saw that the floor was encased in a sticky white substance combined with broken bones and sticks: spider silk. _It's near._

Cardin drew his sword and gripped it tight. Around him, the entire case was coated with the spider silk, as well as the broken remains of every captured human animal, from rabbits, horses, squirrels, deer, wolves, and even bears. Above, captured corpses hung in cocoons of silk amidst cracks in the ceiling that spilled light within, their bodies drained of blood and organs. Cardin was the only living person in this place, yet he showed no fear.

"HELP!" came a muffled scream from nearby. Cardin raced over to the source, where he found a large cocoon hanging from the ceiling. "HELP!" came the voice again. Cardin tore the silk apart, exposing the young Liv inside in a tangle of webbing. She was frightened and covered in sweat. "Who…who are you?" she whimpered, her eyes making out Cardin's shape in the dark.

"I'm here to take you home, but the Tsuchigomu is still here, so you need to hide here until I kill it," Cardin explained, placing the child back inside, who curled into a ball, but then she gasped, pointing a finger behind Cardin.

Cardin spun around, sword in hand, but he stopped when he saw who was before him. His mother, Willet Winchester.

"Cardin, honey, don't hurt mommy," she spoke in a gentle voice, one he could recall so vividly. She came close to him, her hands outstretched for him, and Cardin was hesitant.

"Mom…" _No, she's just an illusion! She's not real! She's not real…She's not…_ Yet to finally be able to see his mother in person for the first time, Cardin did not want to deny himself this opportunity.

"You've become such a handsome boy, Cardin." Her hands cupped around his cheeks. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

 _No, you wouldn't be, not if you saw how I was growing up. You'd be ashamed of me._ "I'm sorry, mom. As much as I wish I could see you more, I cannot let this continue, especially knowing how you're here." With that, Cardin swung the claymore, cleaving Willet into two, but no blood spilled out, and the two pieces of her body vanished into thin air.

"ABOVE YOU!" cried Liv, alerting Cardin, who looked up to see the massive Tsuchigomu hanging above on a thick silk rope. The creature resembled that of a giant spider, its body and fur black with the usual Grimm exoskeleton coating its back and legs, with its abdomen featuring a skull-shaped pattern with glowing yellow eyes. Around him were tiny, baby Tsuchigomu, all surrounding the young Paladin, eager to feast.

Cardin wasted no time in activating his Draíochta, which coated his entire body. The young leapt upon him, wherein the Paladin of Ashtul sprout multiple appendages outwards, skewering many tiny Tsuchigomu at once and making them vanish. Above, the Tsuchigomu screeched at the death of its young, but it refused to come down. More children repeatedly attacked Cardin. He cut down any that tried attacking him. One latched onto his shoulder, where he peeled it off and stomped it dead. One appendage lashed out and pierced one child, where it flung it off with a spurt of black blood. Three demonic appendages appeared, where two grabbed at a child and tore it in half while the third clamped its jaws onto another and threw it away. Cardin drew his mace and bashed several young with it. Dropping his sword, he coated his right arm with Draíochta in the shape of a drill and skewered more young with it, up until only a few remained. Like the others, Cardin killed them as well, until only the Tsuchigomu mother remained, which finally descended down to meet the man who murdered its young.

With his sword in hand, Cardin chopped off one of its legs, making it reel back briefly before it quickly recovered, where it attempted to impale its front legs onto Cardin, who raced forward to strike again. The Tsuchigomu batted him with a leg, sending him onto his back, where it leapt onto him and attempted to snatch him into its jaws, held back by Cardin's own hands. Cardin let out a yell, and with Draíochta-charged hands, he flipped the Tuschigomu onto its back, allowing him to regain his composure. The Grimm righted itself back onto its legs, but too late, as Cardin delivered a powerful uppercut laced with Draíochta, knocking it backwards.

"LORD ASHTUL, GRANT ME POWER!" Cardin shouted at the ceiling, wherein his Draíochta began to envelop his entire body in a mass of black magical energy. Two giant hands the size of the Tsuchigomu itself emerged and grabbed at the beast's legs, tearing the monster in half in a shower of black blood, where it then crumbled into nothing.

The black Draíochta faded away and Cardin returned to normal form. His minor wounds already began to heal away as he gathered his sword and returned to Liv, who sat huddled in the silk sac, having watched what transpired. "Are you a monster?" she whimpered as he lifted her into his arms.

"I know that my powers may make me look like one, but I'm not a monster, trust me. I use this power to fight the real monsters," explained Cardin. "Now, just hold onto me." Cardin escorted the girl out of the cave, meeting no resistance along the way from either Grimm or the Grimm Pyrrha.

"Hey, you want to see something cool?" he asked Liv.

"Like what?" she mumbled.

"Would you like to know what it's like to fly?" Liv's eyes brightened up with curiosity, then she nodded. "Alright, just hold on tight, but don't worry, I won't let you fall, I promise, so enjoy the view." Draíochta formed along Cardin's back, making the Wings of Death shine through with an eerie black light before they suddenly materialized into a large pair of black wings, which stretched themselves out. "Here we go!" With that, Cardin crouched and leapt into the air, where his wings flapped hard to send him and Liv and above the treetops. Liv screamed from the sudden rush, but she calmed down once Cardin slowed down, giving her time to take in the view.

A smile appeared on Liv's face as she soaked in the experience, spreading her arms out to simulate the form of a bird soaring in the sky. "There you go! Let's head back home!" Cardin called to her, to which she nodded with a giggle.

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A blanket of tensity hung over all of Higanbana, with every resident unable to sleep or focus on any task as they all worried for Liv and Cardin. Morning crept over the sky, yet Cardin has not returned. The entire town gathered in front of Pitta's home, where she went out to meet them.

"I understand everyone is worried, and I am as well, but we must wait a while longer for Cardin to return," she told them all.

"You told us he was hunting a Class S Tsuchigomu! What makes you believe a lone man can defeat Grimm like that?!" cried one resident.

"I don't want him to come back here! That…power of his––whatever it was––it terrified my children!" cried another.

"And what about those things that attacked Liv and her family?! That Huntsmen claimed they were Grimm, but they looked human to me! What is going on?!"

On and on the people cried and shouted, voicing their opinions on Cardin's terrifying appearance and powers as well as their lack of confidence that he could end the terror that has sweep over the town.

"LOOK! UP IN THE SKY!" someone called, pointing upwards into the clear sky.

Everyone's attention shifted to the sky, where a black figure with wings illuminated by the sun flew through the sky before it stopped in mid-air and began to rapidly descend towards them. Everyone panicked and ran for cover when the figure's descent began to slow down, allowing for the figure to lightly touch down.

Everyone peeked out from their hiding places and saw Cardin Winchester before them, now with large black wings protruding from his back. He set Liv down, who was smiling from ear to ear, then he turned towards the people, who all recoiled in fear. Some began weaving the Raven and Sun of Oum and the Tree of Iris, believing it would protect them from him.

"You brought her back…" Pitta remarked as she stood before Cardin, herself overcome with the same fear everyone was feeling.

"The job is done, you shouldn't be having any more trouble with the Tsuchigomu now. Do you have the money?" Cardin asked of her while Liv stood near him. Pitta asked him to wait, where she retreated into her home and came back with a wallet sleeve of Lien cards, which Cardin put into his pouch.

"Mister, thank you for saving me, really," said Liv.

Cardin kneeled down to her level. "I did what I had to do, is all. Right now, you've got to stay strong. Don't let this hold you back, got it? You can bounce back from this."

"I hope so…it won't be easy without my mommy and daddy…"

Cardin could feel the sadness wash over the poor girl. With a sigh, he reached around his neck and removed the rabbit's foot necklace, which he placed within Liv's hand. "Here, you'll need this more than I would. It's a good luck charm, which will help you."

Liv gave him a smile and nodded her head. "Can I just ask you one more thing? Are you an angel?"

Cardin returned her smile. "Kinda. I guess you can say I'm a dark angel, but I'm still one of the good guys."

With that, Cardin spread his wings and leapt back into the sky with the people of Higanbana watching him as he became a speck in the sky. Liv clutched the rabbit's foot necklace tightly as new hope for her own future swept over her conscious.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Deep within the forests of southern Vale, a lonely town was under attack by a band of ruffians, who were holding the townsfolk hostage as they looted their houses of their valuables without opposition of the two Huntsmen who were there, who could not attack while the citizens' lives were being threatened.

"You Huntsmen ain't so tough when we get hostages!" the bandit leader sneered at them as he held a young woman in his grasp with a knife at her throat; she herself was whimpering and sweating like crazy.

"You bastard!" shouted one of the Huntsmen, a woman, who had to held back by her male partner.

"Don't let him provoke you, or he'll kill her!" he warned, forcing her to calm down.

"See? That's better now." One bandit ran up to the leader. "What have you guys dragged up?"

"Plenty of Lien and food they've been storing, sir!" he answered, showing him a large sleeve stuffed with Lien cards.

"Very nice! Have the men gather the spoils up and some hostages, then we'll leave."

"No! You said you wouldn't hurt anyone!" the Huntress retorted.

"And I'm keeping my word, but I don't want you two to try anything after we leave, so we're taking some hostages with us!" the leader laughed.

At that moment, a loud BOOM echoed through the town as everyone turned towards the center square, where a figure had appeared from the sky. Clad in all black and his wings retracted, Cardin Winchester observed them all, mentally counting them.

"The hell did he come from?" called the leader.

"Is he a Huntsman?" said the Huntress.

Cardin spotted the leader and drew his claymore, but he froze when he saw the leader hold the girl up and dug the knife into her skin, drawing blood and making her cry out. "Not another step, Huntsman, or the girl dies! Drop the sword and your other weapons!" Already, the other bandits were abandoning their looting and hostages to tend to this newcomer.

"Just do it, you fool!" called the Huntress.

Cardin complied and dropped Tenebris, his mace, and his pack, spreading his hands out to notify the bandits that he was disarmed. "Smart move, Huntsman!"

"Do you fools really think I need weapons to kill you all?" Cardin hissed coldly, venom on his tongue.

The bandits all collectively laughed. "What can you do?! We've got you surrounded and you're defenseless!" Cardin crouched down, where he drew a knife from his belt. "Like that'll save you!" interjected one bandit. Cardin ignored him and cut it into his left palm, drawing blood. He planted his bloody hand upon the ground and began muttering a prayer in the ancient language.

 _"_ _Lord Ashtul, grant me strength. Give me the magical prowess of Below so I may send these evil men to you."_

Cardin stood up with the knife back in his belt. "You best pray you die quickly, for you soon shall stand before Lord Ashtul, where he will send you to an eternity of damnation."

"Crazy fool…GET HIM!" ordered the leader. One bandit rushed at Cardin with an axe, but before he drew close, a long appendage bearing a clawed hand burst from Cardin's armor and latched itself around the bandit's head and lifted him into the air, freezing everyone else in place as they stared in horror at what was before them.

"You will get no mercy from me…" Cardin warned before the hand appendage crushed the man's head, dropping the body to the ground in a shower of blood.

The others were hesitant, but the bandits all rushed Cardin again. The same appendage snatched up another bandit, where it slammed his body into the ground, leaving a bloody imprint. Two more appendages emerged, these ones impaling themselves onto several bandits before whipping them away. One bandit got too close, where Cardin lifted his hand, now enveloped in dark Draíochta, where it fired into a pinpoint blast, obliterating the bandit's head into a blood stump. Two more hands and two face appendages emerged, where the hands grabbed at a bandit and tore him in half while the faces lunged upon bandits who grew close, where they clamped their fangs into their necks and tossed them away like trash.

One bandit dropped his gun and ran in fright, but Cardin was not willing to let any of them escape with their lives. One hand appendage snaked its way through the carnage and latched itself around the fleeing bandit's leg. "NO! PLEASE!" he shrieked as the hand dragged him back and lifted him into the air before Cardin, who stood unmoved as his appendages continued their slaughter. "PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!" Cardin did not answer, instead allowing a blade appendage to answer by slicing the man in half, dropping the corpse's pieces to the ground in a splatter of blood.

"TO BELOW WITH THIS! LET'S GET OUTTA HERE!" screamed one bandit, who ran, prompting others to run in different directions. They all reached the entrance gates of the town, but they stopped in their tracks when a wall of ice suddenly appeared, freezing the gate over and preventing them from escaping.

"You men shall answer for your crimes!" called a voice. Atop a nearby house stood Velvet Scarletina, dressed in an altered outfit of her old Huntress uniform. A pair of Dust daggers rested on her hips and latched to her backside was a large chest, which sides were open, where fragments of ice Dust were flowing from within and dancing around her fingertips. "Drop to your knees and you will be spared!" Over a dozen warriors with weapons, all bearing the Spear and Shield of Aziela, appeared and pointed their guns at the bandits, who instantly surrendered.

Back at the square, the remaining bandits that chose to fight were all killed by Cardin, who set his sights on their leader, who still had a knife at the young woman's throat. Seeing the fear on his face, the young woman quickly stomped on the bandit's foot, forcing him to recoil, where she dashed off inside a nearby house, where she watched things unfold from the window.

Cardin moved towards the leader, who had drawn a pistol and fired it at the Paladin, but each bullet that came near was absorbed into nothing by Cardin's hand, laced in dark Draíochta. When the gun ran empty, he weakly dropped it. Cardin produced multiple bladed tentacles that hovered behind him, their sharp blades pointed at the bandit leader.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" he screamed in horror.

"A Paladin," Cardin simply answered before his blades pierced the bandit, killing him instantly. Nearby, the two Huntsmen were pressed against a wall, fearful of the man before them.

"Cardin!" called Velvet, who came rushing over. He retracted his tentacles and allowed the bandit leader's body to fall. Velvet stopped before him, where she observed the bloodbath and mangled bodies in the square and back at him. "Thanks to you, none of the townspeople were harmed," she notified him.

"Sorry about the mess though," he told her.

"I'd be more surprised if you didn't make a mess of our enemies, to be honest, but with your powers, bloodshed seems to come naturally." She gave him a comforting smile. "Jaune will be happy to see you back."

The Huntsmen and the townsfolk soon came alive, exiting their homes and safe spaces at the sight of the Holy Spear coming around to notify everyone that things were safe, and when they saw Cardin Winchester and recognized him as the man who saved them from the bandits, they slowly and steadily applauded, even after seeing his terrifying powers. A few children even came forward to give their thanks, to which Cardin smiled and patted their heads. "Just doing my job," he would tell them. Cardin would later leave with the Holy Spear after everything was secured and the remaining bandits taken into custody by the Huntsmen, who called in backup to aid them in the arrest.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

When the team returned to the fortress, everyone went off to do their own thing to settle down for the day while Cardin went to go see Jaune to inform him of the Grimm Pyrrha. He met with Jaune, where the two sat in Jaune's private quarters, where Cardin informed him of the arrival of the Grimm Pyrrha. When he had finished, Jaune backwards in his seat, mouth agape, but no sound would come out. Cardin patted his friend's shoulder and took his leave.

"What should I do…Pyrrha…?" Jaune mumbled to himself.

 _"_ _I don't know…If what Cardin says is correct, then this Grimm version of me is just an empty vessel for a Grimm to inhabit for itself. There's nothing of me left in it other than its appearance."_ Jaune burrowed his face into his hand.

"So we have no choice…we'll have to kill her…" A couple tears rushed to Jaune's eyes, already feeling the hard pain of having to kill a monster wearing Pyrrha's skin.

Outside, Cardin wandered around the fortress, where he saluted off to passing knights, all of whom have grown and improved since they originally came to the Holy Spear, though they still had a ways to go to become proper knights. As he continued on, he soon ran into Velvet, who decided to accompany him, where they headed outside to the training yard to watch the knights at work. They spotted Ren, Nora, Yatsuhashi, and Pandora training various people with their weapons. Multiple Atlesian training dummies, courtesy of a Schnee Dust Company package Weiss arranged with Jaune, were strewn about the yard as knights whacked, slashed, and shot at them.

"Things have been relatively quiet lately, haven't they?" Velvet stated. "Already four of the five Paladins have emerged and now we have made the Holy Spear our own sort of headquarters."

"You think something big is going to happen soon?" Cardin asked.

"I wish nothing does, but at the same time, I know something will, but with our power combined with Jaune's and Ruby's, I feel like we can handle whatever comes our way, but we're still awaiting for the next Cothrosling to appear to us, evident so as the Maidens still have not returned with him, whoever the Cothrosling may be." Half a year ago, the four Maidens bid farewell to Jaune to find the next Cothrosling, using directions from Sklor himself.

The two fell silent as they watched their comrades continue their training. "It's true, isn't it? That Pyrrha's body is possessed by a Grimm?" Velvet weakly inquired. Cardin nodded. "Even after everything I have seen and know what each of us are capable of, the mere idea that a fate like that exists…" She did not finish, for a cold shiver ran through her body.

Cardin placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay, I know it will." He gave her a comforting smile, where Velvet latched herself to him in a hug.

"So, what happened to the rabbit's foot I gave you?"

"Someone else needed it more than I did." Velvet chuckled and hugged him tighter.

 _"_ _Your magical powers will make you appear like a monster to others, but that does not make you one. Never forget that as you fight monsters, you do not lose yourself and become a monster yourself. That's what separates the Bhàisling from the Dark Paladins."_ Pecado's advice would always weight heavy on Cardin, even as he hugged Velvet.

 **( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )( )**

Far to the east in the rural farmlands of Mistral, a young boy named Oscar Pine stirred in his bed one early morning. His eyes slowly opened and he let out a yawn. Oscar dressed himself in his morning clothes, where he headed out to the fields to check on his strawberries, potatoes, and parsnips plants, all of which were in prime condition and healthy, soon ready to be harvested. After watering them, he went on to the chicken coop, where he feed everyone their breakfast and gathered any laid eggs, which he took back to the house for his aunt.

Before his aunt would wake up and start making breakfast for the two of them, Oscar returned to his room in the barn, where he changed into some clean clothes for breakfast (of which he would only change out of again afterwards) and decided to flop into bed for a quick snooze, but his nap time was cut short by the green gem medallion on his dresser, which sat in a pristine and elegant carrying box for it. For a brief moment, Oscar thought he hear the medallion call his voice. "I must still be sleepy…" he mumbled before closing his eyes.

 _"_ _Oscar…"_ went the voice again, making the young teen spring up in bed. He stared unblinking at the medallion, which was a rusted bronze that had a hourglass etched into it. _"Oscar…"_ said the voice again, confirming that Oscar himself did not imagine it. He went to his dresser, where he plucked the medallion up and into his hand.

"So weird…" he wondered. He has had the medallion for a few years, having received it sometime during the previous Vytal Festival, before the attack on Vale. He remembered how it came in the mail from a man known only as "Ozpin," someone neither Oscar or his aunt knew. They both almost though the package was falsely delivered had the medallion not have a note addressed to Oscar telling him to keep the medallion safe and secured. He was about to put it back on the dresser when he hesitated, then he chose to put it around his neck, where he then headed to the house for breakfast.

After a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, Oscar went to change back into his working clothes, where he set to work plowing the fields and laying compost, but his work was later interrupted by the arrival of four young women each dressed in outlandish clothes. "Can I help you, ladies?" he asked, being courteous.

All four of them smiled together. "It's wonderful to meet you, Oscar Pine, chosen Cothrosling of Sklor and successor to Ozpin," stated Winter, who bowed before him.

"I told you guys he had Ozpin's old medallion!" chirped Spring. Oscar held up the medallion in his hand and stared at it with a puzzled look. "I told you I had an inkling Ozzy would send it to him!

"I must say, this farm is quite the cozy place. I wouldn't mind staying here for a while," noted Summer.

"All of you just stop before you freak the kid out!" snapped Autumn, making her sisters all hush up. She stepped forward to greet Oscar, who's feet felt frozen to the dirt. "I imagine this is difficult to understand, and given the circumstances, I wouldn't blame you, but we are here to change your life forever, Oscar Pine, our dear Cothrosling."

 **Next Chapter: It's My Turn!**


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